'Provide rapists with psychiatric treatment' call
Published on: Friday, September 26, 2014
KOTA KINABALU: Anne Keyworth, founder of Bukit Harapan, suggested that rapists be given psychiatric treatment even if they are behind bars.According to her, rapists are satyromaniacs, meaning they have excessive, uncontrollable sexual desire (animal lust). "There must be many satyromaniacs walking among us as some rape cases go unreported.ADVERTISEMENT "If you simply put them in jail, they will do the same thing again when they are released."She shared an experience where she brought an abused woman to the Native Court only to be ridiculed."The husband even made fun of her. I demanded that he apologise to her immediately at that time."To present these types of cases at the Native Court is unfair. I'm also aware that some villagers have relatives working at the Native Courts."ADVERTISEMENT Keyworth echoed Community Development and Consumer Affairs, Datuk Jainab Ahmad's call to charge rapists in the civil court instead of the native court.In relation to this, she urged women groups to get involved. "More support groups are also welcome," she added.
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"Men support groups should also be set up."Meanwhile, Sabah Women Action Resource Group (SAWO) legal adviser, Mary Lee, said all rape and other sexual assault offences, including incest, committed in Malaysia are criminal offences punishable under the Penal Code (Act 574)."It is clearly spelt out in Section 2 of the Native Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1991 that the Native Courts shall not exercise jurisdiction in respect of any offence which is an offence under the Penal Code."The reports of native chiefs who would accept rape cases in this present day and age to be tried in the native courts and thereby undermine the criminal justice system of this country are scandalous and intolerable, she said.More so when this very same problem had in fact been highlighted in the front page of the Daily Express as far back as on March 24, 2005, added Lee.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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"It is mandatory to refer all victims of rape and other sexual assault offences and their families to the nearest police station and/or one-stop crisis centre in government hospitals immediately."Sawo strenuously calls upon the authorities and powers concerned to uphold the criminal justice of this country by putting an immediate stop to this deplorable practice in our State."