Teacher arrested over molests

By: Heidi Foo

SEREMBAN: The teacher suspected of allegedly molesting 10 students of a vision school here was arrested and remanded for four days beginning yesterday.

District police chief Assistant Commissioner Saiful Azly Kamaruddin said the teacher was summoned to the district police station about noon yesterday after which he was arrested.

"To date, police have received three reports lodged against the suspect. The reports were lodged by the school counsellor and two victims."

He also said the teacher was being investigated for making the students, below the age of 14, commit acts of gross indecency.

Meanwhile, state Education Department director Datuk Abdullah Mohammad said the teacher was expected to be suspended pending investigations.
He said they had informed the Education Ministry and had submitted investigation reports carried out by the school and state education officers.

Abdullah said the teacher was also barred from contacting the victims and their parents including teachers from the school.

The New Straits Times yesterday reported that although the complaints against the teacher went back for almost a year, no action was taken against him.

It was also reported that some victims had revealed that the suspect would give them money and gifts to buy their silence.

Police believe that many of the teacher's victims are now in secondary school and they have been urged to come forward to assist in the investigations.

The alleged "attacks" occurred during school trips and physical education lessons.

The New Straits Times Online: 25 Oktober 2008