KUALA LUMPUR: Deputy Women, Family and Community Development Minister Hannah Yeoh has urged people who witness child abuse to go to the defence of the victims rather than using their phones to record the scene.
“There is now a trend where videos are being released of child abuse incidents. This shows there is someone behind the camera. It is likely an adult behind this. It is better for the adult to stop the incident instead of just recording it.
“If they can intervene and notify the police, then they can go a long way towards saving the child. We need greater awareness on this issue, more active involvement by the community. This is no longer just confined to the family of the victims, especially when it happens in the open,“ she told reporters after handing out aid at a ceremony organised by the Beautiful Gate Foundation for the Disabled.
Yeoh said the number of child abuse cases remains high despite various efforts to address the problem.
Out of the 12,576 cases of child neglect and abuse reported as of June last year, 7,564 were committed by mothers and the rest by fathers.
“Non-governmental organisations have highlighted that many single mothers are left alone to care for their children because their husbands have abandoned them. Mothers are struggling to care for their children,“ she added.
