PUTRAJAYA, Aug 20 — Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail has reportedly confirmed that the police are looking into any masterminds behind a child sexual exploitation WhatsApp group involving 12-year-old girls.
New Straits Times quoted the home minister saying investigators have not determined this fact yet, and stressed the case must be handled carefully and in line with procedures since minors are involved.
“There are specific protocols for handling cases involving children – photographs cannot be shown, names cannot be disclosed, and so forth.
“The police are therefore carrying out their duties through the Criminal Investigation Department’s (CID) Women and Child Investigation Division (D11),” he told reporters after the Home Ministry’s monthly assembly here.
He said cases involving children require a detailed understanding of their age, level of thinking, and motivations.
“What led the child to decide to leave school? Leaving school entirely because they saw this as a way to make money. All of these factors need to be examined,” he said.
He added that the child’s involvement required careful police handling with support from psychiatric specialists because of her age and vulnerability.
Yesterday, Saifuddin said the police have recently uncovered a case where children as young as 12 were being exploited online to sell images of themselves.
Saifuddin said the ring started after a 12-year-old girl created a website with four of her friends, and a WhatsApp group where their child sexual exploitation materials were shared grew to 762 members.
He did not state whether the members of the group involved adults or minors.
However, he stressed that cases involving children could not be tackled by enforcement alone and required wider involvement.
His revelation came when responding to Jerai MP Sabri Azit, who had asked whether the police are acting against “swinger” — where consenting adults swap their partners, usually spouses, for sex.
