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.