KOTA KINABALU, Feb 15 — A public primary school teacher here is being investigated by police for allegedly molesting and sexually harassing at least five male students.
Kota Kinabalu acting district police chief superintendent Kalsom Idris confirmed that at least two police reports were received on the case last month.
“The investigation is still ongoing. We have also taken a statement from the teacher in question,” she said when contacted.
Malay Mail was informed of a police report lodged on January 11 by a parent of one of the students who was allegedly a victim of a science and visual arts teacher at the government school here.
The mother of the 10-year-old student was told by a fellow parent of her son’s classmate, that he and three of his classmates were molested by the teacher in class.
In her first police report, she said that her son’s classmates and parents told her that the teacher had molested him and touched his private parts, but her son denied it at first when confronted.
The mother, a medical professional, lodged a second police report three days later, claiming her eldest son — now 12 years old and in Standard Six — said that he was also previously sexually harassed and molested by the teacher when he was in Standards Three and Four.
It is also believed that other parents of students had come forward to make police reports around the same time.
Kalsom said that the case was being investigated under Section 14(a) of the Sexual Offences Against Child Act 2017 for touching for sexual purposes any part of the body of a child. The offence carries a maximum jail of 20 years and whipping, upon conviction.
