Rumah victory sex abuse scandal: Shelter pleads ignorance

Rumah victory sex abuse scandal: Shelter pleads ignorance

Submitted by Najiah on Tuesday, November 2nd, 2010

PETALING JAYA: Everyone at Rumah Victory seemed ignorant of the sexual abuse which had allegedly taken place at the shelter for troubled and abandoned boys since early last year.

When The Malay Mail visited the home yesterday, the inmates and the caretakers seemed unaware of the allegations which a former newspaper photographer had confessed to and we had frontpaged yesterday.

Rumah Victory supervisor Loh Chee Onn, who has been at the shelter since it opened in 2008, admitted the photographer had previously been a volunteer at the home.

But the photographer, in his fifties, was asked to leave in June after some falling out with the management.

Loh declined to reveal more information claiming the shelter's management were not allowed by the authorities to discuss the matter as they were waiting to conduct a full investigation.

He also denied any previous reports of sexual harassment by volunteers at the shelter, but claimed to have heard of a complaint six years back of a child being sexually abused at another shelter.

When The Paper That Cares spoke to some of the boys, they seemed content living at the shelter.

Four boys agreed to be interviewed and they denied there had been any wrongdoings at the place.

The eldest was Chong Li Sian, 15, who said: "So far, no one has ever bullied me. I enjoy my stay here and I've been with Rumah Victory for the past six years. I have had no trouble. The caretakers are good and we also have regular meals."

Chong said he was sent to Rumah Victory by his mother after his father passed away six years ago. His crippled mom was unable to take care of him and was forced to seek help to raise her son.

While the other children declined to be named or reveal their background, the youngest, a nine-year-old, said they were all Methodist Christians at the boys' home and he enjoyed going regularly to the church in Cheras, Kuala Lumpur on Sundays.

There are two caretakers at the shelter, a man and a woman, which now houses 21 boys, aged nine to 15.

The woman caretaker, in her 40s, declined to be interviewed. But other caretaker, Chong Kok Hong, 34, admitted to being a reformed drug addict.

Since joining the home over a year ago, he cooks the meals and drives the boys to school and back.

"I used to be a bad person, but religion saved me. I converted to Christianity while at the drug rehabilitation centre."

Drawing from his experience, he denied allegations reportedly made by the photographer about the shelter boys being used as drug mules. "We do not use the boys to do something we do not believe in."

'Compliance met but still no licence'

PERSATUAN Persaudaraan Kristian Rumah Victory founder Philip Mok has confirmed the boys’ home is unlicensed but he says the management has complied with the Social Welfare Department's requirements.

Mok claimed to have submitted the required applications in 2008 and wondered what more the authorities needed to grant them a licence.

Rumah Victory administrative head Grace Tan said the association was duly registered with the Registrar of Societies and entitled to operate several shelters it now had, including an old folk’s home, drug rehabilitation centres in Semenyih, Seremban and Malacca, and several training centres for youths.

In light of The Malay Mail frontpaged report of alleged sexual abuse by a former newspaper photographer yesterday, she said Rumah Victory was cooperating fully with authorities in their investigations.

She also said Rumah Victory would vet all volunteers before allowing them to care for the children. "We strongly believe there is a need to check on volunteers because we cannot easily trust people nowadays."

Meanwhile, Social Welfare Department director-general Datuk Meme Zainal Rashid said registration under the Care Centre Act 1993 was required for all shelters.

She said such an approval was given only after the operator had obtained the approval from the Fire and Rescue Department, the Health Department and the local authority.

The shelter has to also fulfil certain minimum standards pertaining to the ratio of carer and residents, adequate space for inmates, nutrition and suitability of activities.

"If the centre's registration has not been approved by the Welfare Department, it would mean all or some of these requirements were not met."

But Meme was unable to state exactly what requirements Rumah Victory had failed to comply with.

"We will have to investigate Rumah Victory of their non-compliance status. We will take legal action if necessary."

Currently, 355 shelters have been registered with the department and are listed on its website.

Meme said operators or management of shelters for children must take measures to ensure staff and volunteers were properly screened and behavioural protocols put in place to ensure a safe environment.

"Staff must also be trained to detect children who have been abused so that necessary intervention can be taken to stop the abuse. All these are part of a Child Protection Policy the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development has been promoting since its was approval in July last year."

Sponsors reeling from allegations

PETALING JAYA: Sponsors of Persatuan Persaudaraan Kristian Rumah Victory are shocked by allegations of sexual abuse at one of the shelters.

Pearl International Hotel public relations manager Karen Tan, said they had been working closely with the children's home for the past three years. "The last time we worked with them was early this year. The children seemed to be doing fine and looked happy."

She said the hotel's management would have to review whether to continue supporting Rumah Victory if the allegations were found true. "We are shocked."

A spokesman for Parkson Pavilion also expressed shock and said they would review their support for Rumah Victory. "We are very surprised. We really did not see this coming."

MCA publicity deputy chief Loh Seng Kok said: "The police should move swiftly to conduct a thorough investigation."

He also urged the Welfare Department to do their part as well.