Welfare centre caretaker pleads guilty to 15 sexual offences on five boys

THE caretaker at a childcare centre in Batu Caves, Gombak, pleaded guilty at the Sessions Court today to 15 charges of physical and non-physical sexual assault and unnatural intercourse involving five boys.

The accused, Retna Velu, 25, made the plea after all the charges were read out by an interpreter in Tamil, before Judge Norshila Kamarudin and Judge Ho Kwong Chin.

According to all the charges, he is charged with physical and non-physical sexual assault, in addition to unnatural intercourse against five boys aged between eight and 13 years.

The offence was committed at a childcare centre in Batu Caves between the end of November 2025 and March 27 this year.

All charges were brought under Sections 14(a), 14(b), 15 (a)(i), 15(a)ii) of the Child Sexual Offences Act 2017 and Section 377C of the Penal Code.

Sections 14(a), 14(b) provide for a maximum prison sentence of 20 years and may be subject to whipping, while Sections 15 (a)(i), 15(a)(ii) provide for a maximum prison sentence of 10 years or a fine not exceeding RM20,000 or both.

Section 377C provides for a minimum prison sentence of five years and a maximum of 10 years, and may be subject to whipping if convicted.

The court did not allow the accused to be granted bail until the facts of the case and sentencing on May 21.

Meanwhile, at the same proceedings, the founder of the welfare home involved, S Valan, 31, pleaded not guilty to four charges of physical sexual assault.

The accused made the plea after the charge was read out before Judge Norshila, while one charge was read out before Judge Kwong Chin in Tamil.

According to the charge, Valan was charged with committing physical sexual assault on four boys aged between 13 and 16 years (at the time of the incident) at the same place, between March 18, 2019 and August 2025, under Section 14(a) and Section 14(b), which provide for the same punishment.

The court then allowed the accused to be bailed at RM30,000 for all charges and set June 10 for mention of the case.

The prosecution proceedings were conducted by Deputy Public Prosecutors Muhammad Hairul Iqram Hairuddin and Nadiah Malek Fauzie.

Retna Velu was not represented, while Valan was represented by Amalia Daud and R Roshini.

At the same proceedings, K Subramaniam and S Premila held a watching brief on behalf of the victim's families and Pertubuhan Kebangkitan Tiga Tangan Selangor, which exposed the alleged decade-long abuse at the unlicensed home.

Previously, the media reported that an 11-year-old boy had been a victim of sodomy at a welfare home in Batu Caves for the past two years.

The victim was among more than 20 children aged nine to 17 who had experienced physical and sexual abuse at the welfare home, which has been operating for 10 years.

PKTTS president S Maran, who revealed the matter, reportedly said that apart from the founder, two other assistants were also involved in a sexual abuse case involving many victims. – April 9, 2026