Spike in rape cases in Kelantan

AFP pic.

KOTA BHARU: Kelantan police have warned of troubling statistics for rape cases in Kelantan.

State police chief Hasanuddin Hasan said although most cases were consensual, they had to be investigated under Section 376 of the Penal Code as it involved adolescents.

“According to rape statistics from January to November 2017, there were 108 cases compared to 92 in the same period this year.

“Despite a reduction of 14.8%, it is still worrisome, as most of the cases involve Malay Muslim teenagers,” he said during a townhall discussion organised by the Kelantan State Prison and Malaysian Crime Prevention Foundation (MCPF) Kelantan.

Hasanuddin said the overall crime rate in Kelantan was still under control, decreasing 15.9% to 470 cases this year (from January to November) compared to 559 in the same period last year.

He said most crimes stemmed from drug addiction, the highest being house break-ins.