SERDANG: The sexual harassment cases involving children show a worrying trend with 35 cases reported last year, said Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri.

She said even the number of cases does not reflect the actual situation in the country as there are many unreported cases due to various factors.

"Some parents may feel ashamed to report while children do not know how to report," she said at a press conference after launching the Selangor-level 'Jerayawara Kasih KPWKM@Advokasi Antigangguan Seksual', an anti-sexual harassment advocacy roadshow, here today.

Nancy said the issue of sexual harassment can cause trauma to children and have long-term effects, especially when the perpetrators are close ones such as one's father or brother.

"We don't want these kinds of cases to become the norm because if they are disturbed from childhood, they might think that this is normal human behaviour," she said.

According to statistics from the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM), a total of 378 adult sexual harassment cases were reported in 2020, and the number rose to 506 cases in 2021.

Nancy said there are still many people who are afraid to report cases of sexual harassment to the authorities due to shame and fear.

She said the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development (KPWKM) is ready to assist victims in the form of counselling and psychological services, but victims are advised to also lodge a police report.

"Counselling alone is not enough, action must also be taken," she said.

The advocacy programme educates and provides information to the community about sexual harassment. It also aims to raise awareness so that the culture of normalising sexual harassment is eliminated.

In a separate development, Nancy said the ministry is waiting for the police report on the incident in which a 40-day-old baby was hurled to the floor by their uncle and a three-year-old child was thrown (by the same uncle) from the first floor of an apartment building in Penang yesterday (Aug 2).

"The case is still being investigated. We have to wait for the proper report first to make sure we do the right thing," she said.

The media reported that the baby suffered injuries to her head, while the three-year-old suffered a broken leg and bleeding from the mouth when the same uncle hurled the child from the first floor of an apartment building.

-- BERNAMA