ACP Ong: Family betrayed victims and some are tricked into sex
- THE STAR
Young and vulnerable: ACP Ong showing some statistics on statutory rape.
KUALA LUMPUR: Growing up, “Sofea” was just like any normal child, cheerful and full of life.
She would play with her friends after school and was always up for new adventures.
Her life took an 180 degree turn at the age of 12 when she was raped by her father.
She was taken to a vacant room in her house where he undressed her and sexually assaulted her.
The attacks persisted for five years until Sofea went for the National Service training after sitting for the SPM.
“One day, she decided to confide in one of the counsellors there. She revealed that she had been sexually abused by her father. That prompted the counsellor to alert the police.
“However, she refused to lodge a report. She said she had lost hope as no one would believe her – not even her mother or relatives – whenever she confided in them.
“So she carried this emotional trauma over the years until she became depressed,” recounted Bukit Aman’s Sexual, Women and Child Investigation Division assistant principle director Asst Comm Jenny Ong Chin Lan.
In a bid to seek justice for Sofea, ACP Ong said the counsellor approached her.
“During our discussion, I persuaded Sofea to lodge a report and explained how the criminal justice system in Malaysia works. After much coaxing, she agreed.
“The father was arrested and was denied bail pending court proceedings. However, the mother tried to make Sofea withdraw the report.
“She even brought her daughter to meet the father and said ‘abang, please apologise to Sofea and I will make sure that she will withdraw the report’.”
Sofea was torn between filial piety and doing the right thing.
To protect herself from men, she started dressing up like a tomboy.
“When a magistrate granted bail to the father, that broke Sofea. She even attempted suicide because she couldn’t handle the pressure of having to face her family and the rapist.
“It was a challenging time for all of us. I promised that I would help her but she felt betrayed when the father was granted bail.
“We worked really hard to make sure that justice was served. In the end, the father was found guilty and jailed. We continued to provide counselling to Sofea and she is finally happy with her life,” she said.
Now 22, Sofea is in college and has even started dating.
“She is happier than ever and we are very delighted for her,” she said.
ACP Ong cited another case of “Mia” who was also 12 when her father started to rape her.
The father, who became blind due to an illness, had told Mia that the only way for him to regain his sight was for Mia to obey him.
One day when she came home from school, the father summoned her to his room where he undressed her and raped her.
Mia just did what she was told.
“This went on for four years. She only realised that she was fooled when she started secondary school.
“She also noticed that her father never recovered from his ‘illness’. That was when she reached out to the authorities and the father was nabbed,” ACP Ong said.
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