BY CRYSTAL WONG
MIRI: The Sarawak Women for Women Society (SWWS) has called for a serious review of the standard operating procedures (SOPs) in police stations and lock-ups.
The society also appealed to the higher authorities to ensure that personnel manning police lock-ups should be well-versed with the laws provided for, especially when it involves children.
This is following the alleged rape case reported at a police lock-up here on Jan 9.
In the incident, a 16-year-old girl was allegedly raped by a male detainee in the lock-up police station.
SWWS said it was appalling that the victim could be raped while being detained in a police lock-up and that a female police should be assigned to her.
“Under the Child Act 2001, anyone below the age of 18 should be separated from adults while being detained in a police station,” said SWWS in a media statement today.
“Adding salt to the wound is that there is no footage of the incident at the police lock-up as the CCTV installed was without a recording function.”
SWWS urged that all police stations provided with better facilities such as functioning CCTVs as well as separate facilities for young detainees and different sexes.
