Social Welfare Department needs to assess reports from authorities before helping allegedly abused victims - Nancy

KUCHING - The Social Welfare Department (SWD) will assess the police investigation and hospital report on a case concerning three brothers believed to have been abused in Kangar, Perlis, before taking further action to accommodate the victims, says Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri.

She said as of this afternoon, she was informed that all the victims were receiving treatment at the Tuanku Fauziah Hospital.

"Any results from the police and hospital reports will determine whether the victims need to be placed in a shelter or not, because in this case, they still have a mother," she said after the National Welfare Foundation’s (YKN) ‘Kasih Ramadan’ programme here, today.

According to Nancy, JKM officers in the area immediately took the three victims to the hospital when the case came to light.

Yesterday, media reports stated the three brothers were found by villagers in a weakened state with two of them still chained by the side of a bridge in Jalan Kampung Tambun Tulang, Simpang Empat.

Kangar District Police chief ACP Yusharifuddin Mohd Yusop said the victims were aged 13 to 16, of which two had hearing and listening disabilities.

The police have since arrested a 46-year-old woman believed to be the victims’ mother and a 31-year-old man to help with investigations.

Earlier, Nancy, who is also YKN chairman, handed over clothes to 180 recipients from the ‘asnaf’ group from 40 schools in the Santubong Parliamentary constituency in conjunction with the upcoming Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebration.

The corporate social responsibility programme in collaboration with Alliance Islamic Bank involves festive clothing worth RM27,000. - BERNAMA