KLANG: Extensive advocacy initiatives are being implemented in schools in Selangor as one of the multi-pronged approach to counter the sexual abuse of minors in the state.

Selangor women empowerment and welfare committee chairman Anfaal Saari said that phone numbers to lodge complaints of sexual abuse and assaults were made available in schools for students to reach out for help.

“The schools' counsellors are also actively involved in seeing this through," added Anfaal.

She said the state government has also, since 2024, been collaborating with the welfare department to advocate protection of minors from sexual abuse.

“We have to handle sexual crimes against children, which is on the increase, very seriously," said Anfaal.

Recently a Deputy Public Prosecutor, in her submission at the Klang Sessions court where five men were separately charged for sexual crimes against children in unrelated cases, had said the number of sexual crimes against minors was on the increase in Selangor.

One of the two persons who had pleaded guilty was a 37-year-old lorry driver and father of two, who had raped his 11-year-old daughter on two occasions when his wife was not home.

The second person who pleaded guilty was a 19-year-old public university student who admitted to performing oral sex on his eight-year-old cousin once and groping her on two other occasions.

Anfaal said the number of sexual crimes against children may be showing an increase due to the escalated awareness to report such crimes, by victims, as well as those who learnt of the abuses.

She added that, moving on towards 2026, the state government will initiate measures to ensure children’s safety in line with the nation’s child development policies.