In a coordinated operation, the police in Malaysia rescued 402 children from 18 charity homes in Selangor state and two homes in Negeri Sembilan. The raids resulted in the arrest of 171 individuals, including caretakers, religious teachers, and chairpersons of the facilities. Among the suspects were 66 men and 105 women aged between 17 and 64 years old. The victims, who were all locals, had suffered various forms of exploitation and abuse, including sexual assault and being forced to engage in inappropriate acts with other children.
According to the police, the victims were subjected to punishment using heated objects and inappropriate touching under the guise of religious practices. The suspects allegedly indoctrinated the children using religious tools in a harmful manner. The case is being investigated under laws related to sexual offences against children and human trafficking. The children, who have endured unimaginable horrors, will require long-term medical and psychosocial support due to the serious damage caused by the abuse they faced.
Residents living near one of the raided children’s homes in Kampung Seri Aman in Puchong believed the facility was linked to a specific organization. The girls were housed in the home that was raided, while the boys lived in a separate location about a five-minute drive away. The children, who were in their teens, mostly kept to themselves and engaged in business activities when seen in public, such as working at a cafe or offering horse rides at a nearby mosque. Following the police operation, the girls’ home appeared empty with locked gates, and the adjacent cafe was closed.
Residents who had been living in the area for years expressed surprise at the allegations of abuse and exploitation in the children’s homes. They revealed that the community had known about the organization’s links to a religious sect but had not interacted with the children or sought further information. Multiple police vehicles were seen during the early morning raid, prompting inquiries from curious residents who were met with silence from the authorities. The lack of interaction and integration of the children’s homes with the surrounding community contributed to the lack of awareness about the abuse that was taking place behind closed doors.
The United Nations children’s agency, UNICEF, expressed concern for the traumatized children who had been rescued from the charity homes. The representative for UNICEF in Malaysia highlighted the need for long-term support to help the victims recover from the trauma they experienced. The organization emphasized the serious consequences of the abuse on the children’s physical and mental well-being and stressed the necessity of providing them with professional medical and psychosocial assistance. The police’s ongoing investigation into the case of exploitation and abuse at the charity homes aims to bring justice to the perpetrators and ensure the safety and well-being of the rescued children moving forward.
