ELSIE recalled a child abuse victim from rural Sabah whose family refused to believe the child’s allegations, even after the offender was convicted and the decision was upheld by the Court of Appeal.
“I convicted the perpetrator, but no one in the family cared about the child because they believed the child was telling lies. “The child was eventually placed in a protection home before an aunt agreed to care for the child several years later.
“It’s a very sad story,” she said, adding that such experiences remain with judges long after cases conclude. “I will always remember all these victims that appeared before me. I wonder what happened to them now. The journey of recovery is very long.”
She said recovery for child victims extends far beyond court proceedings and requires counselling, psychological support, education, stable family environments and sustained community care.
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