Wushu coach arrested for sexually assaulting underaged students

KUALA LUMPUR: Police arrested a local wushu coach for suspected sexual assault against two underaged girls, on Monday.

Kuala Lumpur Criminal Investigation Department (CID) chief SAC Habibi Majinji said the 30-year-old suspect who worked at a wushu academy in Cheras had also been arrested by the Kajang district police on the same charge recently.

In the latest case, he said the suspect is believed to have committed the alleged crime in two separate incidents in early April.

"The victims, aged 12 and 13, probably remained silent during the incidents as they looked upon him as their coach.

"As a result of fear, the victims have informed their parents and a police report had been lodged," he said at a press conference here today.

He said the suspect is believed to have invited the victims to go for a drive in his car after their training session before outraging their modesty.

The suspect has been remanded until tomorrow to help in investigations under Section 14 (a) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017 (Act 792), he added.

"Currently, the investigation paper is almost complete and the police will refer it to the public prosecutor today. Instructions to charge will be obtained as soon as possible when there is sufficient evidence against the suspect. Otherwise, the investigation and remand may continue.

"However, this (investigation) needs to be completed immediately for the welfare of the underaged victims," he said.

Habibi said for now the victims are under the care of their respective families and are not attending training sessions at the academy, adding that a decision will be made regarding the academy.

Earlier, Kajang district police chief ACP Mohd Zaid Hassan was reported to have confirmed the arrest of the suspect in connection with another case involving his student, aged 13, in an incident between Feb 11 and 19 in the vicinity of Taman Kajang Mewah, in Kajang.

Habibi revealed that police were investigating four cases, namely two each in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor, involving the suspect.

-- BERNAMA