SHAH ALAM - Children and teenagers between the ages of 13 and 18 makes the biggest number of rape victims in Selangor.
Selangor Police Deputy Chief Datuk S Sasikala Devi said statistics showed worrying trends when complaints and reports related to rape cases was lodged nearly every week in the state.
She said rape cases were also among the serious crime cases that recorded the highest number of reports in Selangor.
She said for the year 2021, a total of 319 rape cases were reported involving 313 arrests, while for the period from January to June this year there were 161 cases with 121 arrests of the perpetrators.
"The highest recorded victims consisted of those aged 13 to 18 years old,” she said in a special interview session with Sinar Harian on Tuesday.
Sasikala said in terms of the victim’s age breakdown for 2021, a total of 26 cases involved children aged seven to 12, 224 cases involved teenagers aged 13 to 18 and another 69 cases involved victims aged 18 and above.
She added that from January to June this year, a total of 20 rape victims involved children aged seven to 12, 103 cases involving teenagers aged 13 to 18 and another 38 victims aged 18 and above.
"Rape incidents involving teenagers are mostly consensual.
"However, according to the provision under Section 375 (G) of the Penal Code, it is an offense to have sex with a victim under the age of 16 even with the consent of the victim," she stressed.
Sasikala said any information about crimes involving women and children can be channeled through the Talian Kasih hotline 15999.