A MOTHER films her children performing sexual acts on each other and then streams it online to “protect” them.
Sharing the heartbreaking story, End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography and Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes (Ecpat) International executive director Dorothy Rozga says the woman chose to produce porn rather than force the children into prostitution.
“She felt it’s safer because the kids are home, not in the streets. Children in poor families see it as a way to contribute to the household income. It’s scary how such acts are seen as normal.”
Ecpat is a global network of 85 organisations working together in 77 countries for the elimination of all forms of child sexual exploitation.
Talking to Sunday Star about the “Global Study on Sexual Exploitation of Children in Travel and Tourism” to be launched next year, Rozga says that while information and communication technologies are an important part of modern life, the unintended consequence of such progress is the emergence of new forms of violence against children and young people.
Through the Internet, the growth of sexual abuse material anywhere can have an impact everywhere, she points out.
Each time a sexualised photo or video of a child is shared or viewed, he becomes a victim all over again. She explains the major global threats that are facilitated by technology:
> Greater circulation of child pornography, increasingly through peer-to-peer file sharing platforms.
> Web and encrypted software techniques allow users to access materials anonymously.
> Increased use of mobile devices by predators to groom children online prior to physical meetings.
> With cloud-based services, offenders can record and upload the abuse to be accessed when they return home so there’s no incriminating evidence at borders/checkpoints.
> Increase in live streaming of child sexual abuse.
> Growth in the production of self-generated (sexting and sextortion) materials.
> Exploitation of younger children.
> Use of virtual currencies and other forms of electronic payment to buy materials making it difficult for authorities to trace.
Paedophiles are concealed in the dark Net, Rozga says, as increased connection and speed leads to a boom in streaming of pornography.
“Anonymity makes offenders braver. Our response must be fluid and fast. Communities must be made aware of these dangers and the kids must be empowered.”
Child protection expert Dr Najat Maalla M’jid says sexual exploitation of children in travel and tourism is an evolving and growing crime globally, including in Asia and the Pacific.
“There’s no such thing as a typical offender. The assumption that travelling sex offenders are paedophiles, foreign, single, male, middle-aged, and wealthy, is wrong. Increasingly, we are seeing situational offenders who don’t travel with the intention of abusing a child. But they do it when they’re in places where it’s seen as normal and enforcement is lacking.
“Policy makers mustn’t think that it’s not a problem in Malaysia because globalisation and the Internet has led to more people travelling. As a result, sexual exploitation of children has extended its reach across the globe,” warns Dr M’jid, who is the former UN Special Rapporteur on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography and a member of the Moroccan National Council on Human Rights.
On Oct 24, a photograph of an Asian visitor holding the penises of two little boys on what appears to be an east coast island in Sabah emerged on social media. Another photo that surfaced was that of a group of Asian tourists posing for a photo with a naked little boy standing in front of them.
Bukit Aman Sexual, Women and Child Investigation Division assistant principal director Asst Comm Ong Chin Lan says the incident happened two years ago but the photo went viral again recently.
The boys and the man who posed with them couldn’t be traced and there were no witnesses. Even the authenticity of the photo is questionable, she says, explaining why there was no further action. It was investigated under Section 294 of the Penal Code, which lays down the punishment for obscene acts or words done or uttered in public.
She says adults using kids for sexual gratification by giving cash or gifts in kind to the child or a third party is becoming more pervasive and increasingly complex.
In 2013, three Malaysians were among 1,000 suspected paedophiles around the globe tricked into engaging a computer-generated child for sex tourism. Their names were handed to Interpol for further action.
“We investigated a Malaysian who was paying to watch a mother film and engage in sexual acts with her children aged between two and seven in a neighbouring country but we couldn’t trace him.”
While children react to exploitative behaviour in different ways, there will be a long-term psychological impact, Malaysian Mental Health Association deputy president Datuk Dr Andrew Mohanraj warns.
Initially, some may feel confused and violated while others may not even realise that they are being sexually exploited.
“At that point of time, they may think such acts are normal, playful behaviour. But they can grow into distrusting or hateful adults who are exploitative towards others,” he says, pointing to how most sexual offenders were sexually abused as children themselves.
It’s wrong to presume that so-called “harmless acts”, like holding the penises of boys for a photo, are not as psychologically damaging as penetrative sex, he stresses.
Child therapist Priscilla Ho agrees.
She tells adults to put themselves in the victim’s shoes. Parents must take sexual molestation seriously, regardless of whether there’s penile penetration.
“Many parents say there’s no need to report molest incidents because it’s not rape. So fingering or using sharp objects are acceptable? Some adults even ask whether the child is telling the truth. It’s shocking. Why would the child lie? No wonder children continue to suffer in silence,” says Ho, who is also the co-founder of Creativity at Heart, a non-profit child guidance centre for youngsters, and president of Child Rising, a non-governmental organisation.
Sexual exploitation of children in travel and tourism is something all of us must be alert to, as this happens in the majority of countries – especially those with tourist belts, warns Datuk Dr Raj Karim, who is president of the Malaysian Council for Child Welfare, an umbrella body comprising more than 30 non-governmental organisations that works with the United Nations Children’s Fund to create awareness in Malaysia about child injury and accidents.
Dr Raj, who is also Malaysian AIDS Council president, goes on to explain that child sexual exploitation is a world-wide phenomenon and he believes that Malaysia is just as much at risk as the rest of the world.
And it’s not just girls who are at risk. Boys – especially beach boys – are also sexually exploited by travellers, says Dr Raj.
“We are looking forward to the launch of the study so that we can take the necessary action and precautions,” Dr Raj says, referring to the “Global Study on Sexual Exploitation of Children in Travel and Tourism” mentioned previously.
“At the same time, Malaysia must also collect evidence of such abuses. Education and awareness among families are important so that they’re aware when the children face sexual advances from travellers,” she says, stressing that the authorities must be alerted to such attempts.
Dr Raj was also the co-organiser of the 10th Asia Pacific Regional Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect held in Kuala Lumpur in October.
Speaking at the conference, Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Rohani Abdul Karim says we are increasingly exposed to horror stories of sexual abuse of very young children committed by even their own family members. This, she adds, has taken an uglier form of sexual exploitation of children for monetary gain.
She says the Child Act 2001, which provides protection in cases of abuse and neglect, is being revised to align national laws with the Convention on the Rights of the Child and other related global developments.
Activities and programmes for child development and protection in Malaysia are also being enhanced, she assures.
“The ministry is looking to revise the national children, child protection and reproductive health, and social education policies and action plans.
“We’re also working closely with the Health Ministry, enforcement agencies, and NGOs to tackle the newer emerging forms of child violence and exploitation such as cyber crimes, sale of babies, child trafficking, sexual and labour exploitation, and children in crisis situations,” she says, adding that task forces and consultative groups have been formed to look into child protection, child online protection, care and rehabilitation of survivors of human trafficking, and prevention of domestic and child violence.
Children who live or work in the streets are often victims, ACP Ong offers.
“Malaysia is a destination country for many women and girls from Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, Cambodia, Vietnam, Myanmar, Mongolia and China. They come hoping to find honest work and a better life but most are forced into prostitution.”
Dr Najat calls on South-East Asia to do more to address the gaps and inconsistencies in the domestic implementation of the relevant international standards.
Regional integration is expected to increase cross border movement so sexual exploitation of children in travel and tourism may rise, she warns. If legal loopholes remain, offenders will continue to use them to sexually exploit children.
