letter | | Many of us who are children with disabilities, care partners or who work with people with disabilities were heartbroken this week by the appalling and inhumane abuse and murder of a 6-year-old girl with disabilities in Sarawak. It hurt. This poor girl was abused, murdered, bagged and then dumped in the bush.
We are not new to hearing about abuse, violence, or murder of children with disabilities. International data show that child abuse for children with disabilities is three to five times higher than for children without disabilities, and Malaysia is no exception.
Local community research is scarce, but it is estimated that 50% of all children with disabilities experience some form of abuse.
The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), ratified by Malaysia on 19 July 2010, explicitly contains provisions on the prevention of abuse and violence.
Article 16 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities on “Freedom from exploitation, violence and abuse” states: All forms of exploitation, violence, abuse…”
Article 10 of the CRPD, “Right to Life” states: “
Our government’s ratification of the CRPD means that we have an obligation to respect, protect and enforce it. In this context, it protects children with disabilities from abuse and violence and defends their right to life.
The girl’s death shows gaps in child protection, especially when it comes to children with disabilities.
Some members of society may mistakenly think that their lives are worth less than those without disabilities.
Others may find it ‘understandable’ why it happened, ‘it’s hard to care for someone with a disability’, ‘they were probably under undue stress’. Hmmm.
Such a view is abhorrent and humiliating to all mankind.
Abusing and/or killing a child with a disability is never justified.
It is important to think about how our society and government agencies have failed children with disabilities. It’s not just that they have often failed to protect them from harm, violence, abuse and murder.
Rather, it is about how we continue to and systematically lack the social support that is essential for children with disabilities to live safely and thrive in their communities.
We offer respite care, comprehensive and affordable child care, affordable and accessible treatment services in local communities, comprehensive education, and parent/caregiver, appropriate parent education, etc.
All parents need society to invest in such services and support.
We ask that you respond to this news of the murder of a young child with a disability with strong emotions and use that passion to demand better services for all children with disabilities.
One disabled child killed is one child too many.
Ng Lai Thin (Project Officer)
Dr. Amar-Singh HSS (Advisor)
Won Hee Min (President)
National Early Childhood Intervention Council
The views expressed here are those of the authors/contributors and do not necessarily represent their views Malaysian kini.
