A total 171 suspects, including Islamic teachers and caregivers, are arrested while 400 children and teens are rescued.
Police rescued 400 children from alleged abuse at care homes in Malaysia, in one of the worst such cases to hit the country
Mohd RASFAN / AFP
KUALA LUMPUR (AFP) — Malaysian police expanded their probe Friday into a major Islamic business organization with links to a banned sect, after hundreds of children were rescued from alleged abuse at care homes believed to be run by the group.
Investigators stormed 20 charity shelters across two Malaysian states on Wednesday, arresting 171 suspects including Islamic teachers and caregivers, and bringing to safety 400 children and teens.
In what is believed to be the worst such case to hit Malaysia in decades, police suspect the victims — aged from one to 17 — had been subjected to sexual and physical attacks.
They were also allegedly forced by the care home staff to abuse each other.
Investigators were “working towards” further raids and arrests as the probe on the organization called Global Ikhwan Services and Business (GISB) continues, said police inspector-general Razarudin Husain at a press conference.
Investigations and health checks so far show that at least 13 minors had been sexually abused, said Razarudin.
The children, who are temporarily being housed in a police training center in Kuala Lumpur among other locations, are still undergoing medical examinations, added the police chief.
Razarudin had said on Wednesday that children as young as five were burnt with hot spoons, while others who were ill were not allowed to seek treatment until their condition became critical.
“The caretakers also touched the children’s bodies as if to carry out medical checks,” he said.
GISB has denied the allegations and said they do not run the care homes.
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