Kuala Lumpur: A 17-year-old girl has alleged that she endured two years of rape by the caretaker of a charity home, leading to her pregnancy and the birth of a child in 2022.
The victim claimed the 59-year-old caretaker sold her baby to a couple in Perak and continued the abuse after the delivery.
According to documents, including a police report cited by the New Straits Times, the victim said, “After delivering my baby, the suspect forced me to give up the newborn.”
She alleged that the abuse began in 2020 when she was 13 years old and that the caretaker, along with workers at the home, warned her against revealing the abuse or her child’s existence.
Human rights activist D. Arun said the victim confided in a visitor to the home last month, which prompted the matter to be reported to authorities.
“A police report was lodged at the Kulai police station on November 29, and the Johor Welfare Department has taken steps to facilitate investigations,” Arun said.
Arun added that he met the victim for three hours to hear her account before bringing the case to the police.
“This is a very tragic case that should never have happened,” Arun said, adding that the victim has “expressed her determination to reclaim her child.”
The victim also alleged that the suspect prevented her from attending school between 2020 and 2022, allowing the abuse to continue.
The Johor Welfare Department has since placed the victim and her two-year-old child under its care.
Kulai police chief Assistant Commissioner Tan Seng Lee confirmed the suspect’s arrest on November 30.
“Following the report lodged on Nov 29, an investigative team went to the home in Taman Mas at 3am and arrested the suspect,” Tan said.
He added, “Preliminary checks revealed that the alleged incidents occurred over a span of two years while the victim was under his care.”
Tan said the suspect is under remand until tomorrow.
