KL child abusers face 20 strokes

KL child abusers face 20 strokes

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): Child abusers could face 20 strokes of the cane in Malaysia under a proposal by a government minister in reaction to the widely publicized case of a father who beat his son to death, reports said yesterday.

"I feel that anyone guilty of such a hideous crime should receive strokes of the rotan (cane) after all the pain they caused the children," Social Development Minister Napsiah Omar was quoted as saying in the newspaper reports.

"I personally feel that they deserve at least 20 lashes," she said, adding that her recommendation for stiffer penalties for child abusers could be submitted soon to the relevant authorities for consideration.

Under current laws, child abusers are fined up to 10,000 ringgit (US$4,000) and or jailed for up to five years, officials said.