CID Chief: Statutory rapes may be linked to easily accessible explicit content

EASY access to explicit content is threatening the younger generation with moral decay, said Federal Criminal Investigation Department (CID) director Datuk Seri Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain.

According to reports in the New Straits Times, he believes that the surge in statutory rapes may be driven by perpetrators who have watched explicit content on social media, highlighting the need to address this growing concern.

"Cases of statutory rape are on the rise and that worries me. The statistics (that police have) are based on reported cases.

"The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) is looking at data that hasn't been reported, so it is higher than what we have.

"But what does this tell you? It shows the correlation between accessing pornography and rape," he said.

In May, Shuhaily announced that statutory rape involving teenagers aged 16 and below had increased 11.8 per cent to 202 cases last year compared with the year before.

He said the responsibility also lies with parents, who must ensure their children's safety.

As a father, he acknowledged the challenges in monitoring his children's activities.

"Having three girls at home, I once tried taking away their phones for a week and they said, 'Okay dad, take it. It only means we don't have to do homework for a week.'

"So it is a double-edged sword and we can't do away with it or we'll be left behind. So the question is, where is the limit?"

While acknowledging the complexities of an ever-changing world, Shuhaily shared his hope of restoring the ease and peace of mind that once defined the parenting experience.

"As a cop, I always want to bring back the peaceful times we experienced growing up. In those days, our parents didn't even have to worry about us taking public buses, for example.

"We were more independent because the environment was safe then. I'm not saying that the environment now is unsafe, but the risk is always there." - December 20, 2024