DIVORCE CONTRIBUTING TO CHILD ABUSE - DEPUTY MINISTER

KUALA LUMPUR, May 28 (Bernama) -- Divorce is becoming a major contributor to
child abuse, which is on the uptrend in the country, said Deputy Women, Family
and Community Development Minister Senator Heng Seai Kie.

She said parents who go through messy divorces face undue stress and tend to
take it out on their children, leading to neglect and abuse.

Apart from this, children become victims of custody battles between parents
with the situation worsening when families of both parties decide to interfere
as well, she told reporters after launching the Children's Forum 2011 themed
'Voices for Judicial Change', here Saturday.

She said the number of child abuse cases reported to the Ministry of Welfare
(JKM) increased to 2,961 cases last year compared to 2,789 in 2009.

The higher divorce rate among Muslim couples was also worrying, she said,
adding that there were 27,116 cases involving non-Muslim couples in 2009
compared to 22,289 the previous year.

The non-Muslim divorce rate, however, decreased to 2,938 cases in 2009 as
opposed to 3,633 cases in 2008, she added

This was the official figure and did not include non-registered separations
or divorce.

Heng also said the government formulated the National Family Policy (DKN)
this March to strengthen the family institution.

According to her, the DKN would be the main guideline for all parties to
include the family perspective in legislation, policies, procedures, rules and
development programmes.

The Children's Forum held in conjunction with International Family Day was
organised by the National Population and Family Development Board (LPPKN) and
United National Children's Organisation Malaysia (UNCOM)

The forum covered factors contributing to child abuse, ways of understanding
families going through divorce and the role and services of government and
private sector agencies in child protection.