The incident first came to light when a distressed girl sought help from her teacher over WhatsApp. She had been unable to attend school for 18 days, and finally managed to message her teacher. What she had to say was shocking.
Her mother had forced her into having sex with foreign men.
Child prostitution in Malaysia
According to The Star Online, a 39-year-old single mum in Johor Baru, Malaysia, was found guilty of forcing her daughters, just 10 and 13, into the sex trade.
She had forced the girls to have sex with Bangladeshi men at a budget hotel on 5 days, between Oct 1 and Oct 7, for which she had charged RM 50 (S$ 16) a session. The girls would be given their 'pocket money' - usually RM1, RM5, RM10 or RM20.
Worse still, this mother also watched her daughters in the sex acts.
She was arrested when, upon receiving the girl's message, her teacher informed the school authorities and the matter was forwarded to the state education and welfare departments, as well as the police.
She has pleaded guilty to a total of 10 charges, and has been sentenced to 150 years in prison. However, the sentences for both daughters will run concurrently, so she will effectively have to spend 75 years in jail.
Dubbed 'Monster mum' in Malaysia, she had pleaded for leniency and just a fine, saying that she was unemployed, and had two young children aged 5 and 4 to look after.
However, deputy public prosecutor Suhaila Shafi'uddin was quoted by Harian Metro as saying, "It is clear the two girls are traumatised by the incident. We want a sentence that not only serves as a lesson to the accused, but also the whole community as well as all parents."
Child prostitution in Malaysia: How child sexual abuse affects children
Child sexual abuse can scar children for life.
In the short-term, victims may exhibit regressive behaviour (for example, thumb-sucking and bed-wetting in younger children), sleep disturbances, eating problems, performance issues at school, and reluctance to socialise.
Some long-term psychological effects include:
- Confusion. Children groomed over a period of time may face very mixed up feelings about what happened to them. Was it really wrong? Does this make me unclean? What happens now that I’ve spoken up? What would my families and friends think of me?
- Guilt. The victims are often made to feel guilty, believing they are responsible for the abuse. That they had allowed it to happen.
- Shame. Now that the secret is out, it might make them feel worthless or tainted.
- Fear. Because sometimes the abuser may use threats to keep the abuse a secret. They won’t feel safe.
- Grief. Some victims may also mourn the loss of the relationship with the abuser if there had been a close bond between them.
- Anger. They may feel intense, and often uncontrollable anger. Unable to express their feelings, they may lash out at another person — or blame their caregivers for not stopping the abuse or for not protecting them.
- Helplessness. They were helpless during the abuse. What if it happens again?
- Depression. They may become a recluse and lose interest in life.
- They might become sexually active at a young age.
- They may display self-destructive behaviour like alcoholism or drug abuse from a young age.
Here are some helplines in Singapore useful for parents and teenagers looking for counselling:
- Child Protection and Welfare Services (MSF): For reporting of child abuse – 1800-777 0000
- Samaritans of Singapore (SOS): Provides emotional support to those who are in despair or distressed – 1800-221-4444
- Youthline : Champions youth causes – 6336-3434
- Pregnancy Crisis Service: Unwed teenagers who face unplanned, unwanted pregnancies can call for help – 6339-9770
- Teen Challenge: Provides faith-based and community-based programmes and services – 1800-829-2222
- Touchline: Provides counselling to troubled teens and youth 1800-377-2252
- eCounselling Centre (eC2): An online facility offering free counselling to youth – 6787 1125
- MeToYou Cyber Care: A cyber wellness programme for youth aged 12-18 years old – 6274 6904 / 9173 1766
- Tinkle Friend: For primary school students, especially children who are alone at home, who need someone to chat with or discuss problems with – 1800-2744 788
Also READ: Why counselling is important for child sexual abuse survivors
(Source: The Star Online, Featured Image: Screengrab The Star Online video)