PUTRAJAYA – The Social Welfare Department has been instructed to immediately investigate the death of a 4-year-old boy from suspected abuse in Johor on Monday.
Women, Family, and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri said the department would also prepare a detailed report on the chronology, history, and every development of the case.
“Police are also conducting an investigation into this case, and I give my assurance that the ministry and its agency will give our full cooperation,” she said in a statement today.
The victim died on December 26, three days after being admitted to the intensive care unit of Sultan Ismail Hospital, after falling unconscious at his older sister’s friend’s house in Senggarang, Batu Pahat.
Nancy said the ministry would explore all possibilities to streamline preventive measures, including the need for stricter and heavier punishments for abusers.
She said this was to ensure that such cases do not recur, and at the same time teach a lesson to negligent parents or guardians.
“In addition to physical injuries, child abuse cases can cause long-term mental health implications such as depression, especially for victims of unreported and hidden cases,” she said.
Nancy also said that the assessment of current policies involving children and comprehensive improvements to the protection, monitoring, and social development of children in this country remains her top priority.
She urged members of the public with information about child abuse cases to report them to the ministry via the Talian Kasih hotline at 15999 or WhatsApp at 019-2615999, or to contact the nearest authorities immediately. – Bernama, December 30, 2022
