SERDANG: Police reminded the public to lodge reports to alert them on incidents in real-time instead of just spreading it on social media as an indifferent bystander or witness.

Taking the recent example of a viral case that claimed a couple left their two children in a locked car to attend an open house, Selangor police chief Datuk Hussein Omar Khan said incidents like this could have become life-threatening if left unattended.

In fact, he said in such a case, the parents or guardians of the children can face legal action.

"It is clearly a case of parental negligence that can threaten the life of the children.

"For those who recorded or circulated the video of the incident, it is better to report the incident to the police rather than posting and sharing it on social media," he said after launching the Seri Kembangan police station multipurpose hall here today.

In another development, Hussein said a total of 155 cases of sexual crimes against minors were reported from January to April this year in Selangor.

Without going into further details, he said that these cases are nudging up and of that number, 33 suspects were students.

"Sexual crime involving those under the age of 18 is a serious offence and not understanding the law is also pivotal to a suspect committing a crime under the pretext of mutual affection," he said.

He explained that easy access to the internet and social media also plays a role in the frequency of sexual crimes among minors.

Hussein said most cases involved girls in secondary school with the youngest victim being a 12-year-old.

"Police constantly monitor the activities of students in school by creating school liaison officers. However, that is not enough if parents or guardians do not treat this issue seriously. They have a key role to play," he added.

-- BERNAMA