All 20 welfare homes raided temporarily shut down
- Suspects aged between 17 and 64 remanded for 7 days
- Suspects included caretakers, religious teachers, chairpersons of the homes
- 402 children – 201 boys, 201 girls – allegedly exploited
- Children aged between one and 17
- Children placed in homes as infants with their parents’ knowledge
- Children subjected to religious indoctrination
- Children not allowed medical attention until their condition became critical
- Five-year-olds burnt with a hot spoon for making a mistake
- Children allegedly sodomised and forced to do the same to others at the care homes
- Children used to gather sympathy and funds from the outside
All 171 suspects arrested in raids on welfare homes across Negeri Sembilan and Selangor for allegedly exploiting 402 children were remanded for seven days, said Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Razarudin Husain.
Razarudin also said all 20 premises raided are temporarily shut down.
The premises are allegedly run by Global Ikhwan Services and Business Holdings (GISBH).
“We know that some of these children, who should be in schools but are not, and receiving their own form of education. We may engage with the Education Ministry.
“When they opened these charity homes, supposedly for orphans, we also want to determine whether these homes were registered.
“That is part of our investigation, and from there, we could uncover other violations. Witnesses can also come forward,” he told the media.
It was reported that 402 children were rescued following raids on 20 care homes in Selangor and Negri Sembilan.
The IGP had said this was only the tip of the iceberg of the horrific abuses the children were subjected to.
“Among the allegations are the children were forced to molest other inhabitants, this is what we gathered from intelligence and statements. Those who were sick were not allowed to seek medical attention until their condition became critical.
“There were a few children, aged five years old, who were burnt with a hot spoon when they made a mistake. The caretakers also touched the children’s bodies as if to conduct ‘medical checks’.
“Child victims and religious sentiments were used to gather sympathy and funds from the outside,” he said.
Preliminary investigations also revealed that these children are not orphans. Many were placed in these homes as infants, with their parent’s knowledge and subjected to indoctrination under the guise of religious education, a practice Razarudin condemned as harmful.
He did not rule out the possibility of deaths linked to the syndicate’s activities and added that a detailed investigation would be conducted into the matter.
Police rescued 402 children, comprising 201 boys and 201 girls, aged between one and 17, from the 18 care homes in a rescue operation called Ops Global.
Razarudin said 171 suspects, aged between 17 and 64 years old, were arrested, including a teacher and dorm caretakers.
The process to interview the 402 rescued children is still in the early stages and would likely take at least two weeks, says Razarudin.
“In the meantime, the children will be placed at the Police Training Centre (Pulapol) where the interviews and documentation processes can be conducted,” he said.
He added that investigators would take special care during the interview of the supposedly exploited children.
“We will definitely probe allegations of sexual assaults and sodomy.
“On top of that, we will also check whether the children are being sent to school as well.
“If they are not, then it is an offence. If the schools or care centres (they are going to) are not licensed, that is an offence as well,” he said.
The IGP said police will also work with the Welfare Department to provide counselling and emotional support for the children.
“Again, it is still in the early stages thus we have to take it a step at a time.
“As it involves children, we have to take special care as well,” he said.
The children were allegedly sodomised and forced to do the same to others at the care homes.
The raids were prompted by 41 police reports that had been lodged against GISBH since 2011 until September 7 this year.
GISBH today denied involvement with the alleged abuse by insisting that it was not the operator of the welfare homes raided and claimed it was being targeted with a smear campaign.