Twenty foster homes raided, 170 arrests, more than 400 victims… A resounding child abuse scandal is shaking Malaysia, with physical, psychological and sexual violence inflicted on children aged 1 to 17.
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Malaysian police report cases of torture, boys burned with boiling spoons, sick children denied hospital care, and sexual touching during medical examinations.
Among those arrested, a majority of women, educators, center directors, dormitory supervisors, but also religious advisers supposed to instill the Muslim faith in these minors educated in Islamic institutions.
Who owns these homes? The authorities point to a commercial group, GISB, which is allegedly linked to a banned sect. The company denies this, promises to cooperate and denounces a smear campaign.
But the scandal is such that the Prime Minister himself, Anwar Ibrahim, has taken up the matter: he is demanding an urgent and in-depth investigation.