Reliable national and regional news coverage.
Singapore police have arrested nine suspects—eight men and a woman aged 20 to 41—for allegedly exploiting two minors. The woman faces trafficking charges; the men face charges for obtaining commercial sexual services from a minor.
Vietnam has unveiled a comprehensive national programme for 2026–2030 designed to fortify child protection mechanisms, reduce violence and sexual abuse by 5% annually, and lower child labour rates among five- to 17-year-olds below 1.1%.
A madrasah headmaster in Pasir Mas, Kelantan has been formally charged in court with committing physical sexual assault against three boys in the Tumpat area spanning 2023 to 2024.
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Malaysian child rights organizations have called on all political parties to stop using children in campaign materials, citing ethical breaches and long-term privacy risks following footage captured during recent state elections.
Selangor is escalating its child protection efforts through a comprehensive advocacy programme involving 250 participants from 52 schools and religious institutions, addressing growing concerns around child welfare in Malaysia's most populous state.
The European Commission has formally charged TikTok with violating the Digital Services Act by failing to adequately protect children from predators and cyberbullying through problematic account design settings, marking the fourth enforcement action against the ByteDance platform in two years.
Malaysia's upper house has approved legislation broadening the country's ability to prosecute child sexual offences committed outside its borders, addressing a dramatic rise in cases involving foreign perpetrators over the past five years.
A 29-year-old Indonesian woman has been charged in Singapore with child abuse and voyeurism offences involving three young children. She allegedly recorded explicit videos and images of two boys and secretly filmed a six-year-old girl.
Malaysia's Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development is conducting a comprehensive review of the Child Act 2001, incorporating 159 recommendations from the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child to modernise protections and align with global standards.
An Indonesian court has convicted all 19 members of a human trafficking syndicate that smuggled at least 34 babies between 2023 and 2025, with at least 12 sent to Singapore. Mastermind Lie Siu Luan received a seven-year prison sentence.
Malaysia's communications regulator is advocating for consistent legal frameworks between the physical and digital realms to combat escalating online threats. Derek John Fernandez from MCMC argues that weaker digital regulations embolden criminals.
Authorities in Tawau have arrested a 66-year-old man and secured a seven-day remand in connection with the rape of a 15-year-old girl with disabilities, highlighting ongoing concerns about violence against vulnerable minors.
Malaysia's Social Welfare Department has instructed a Langkawi kindergarten to temporarily cease operations while authorities investigate allegations of child neglect and inappropriate handling. The case involves claims that children were made to sleep on floors without mattresses.
A 66-year-old wheelchair user in Singapore received a 12-year-11-month sentence for sexually abusing a 12-year-old boy over three years, exploiting him with cash and cigarettes in exchange for sexual acts.
Philippine authorities arrested a 72-year-old Canadian national in Laguna for an alleged history of child sexual offences. The suspect had overstayed in the Philippines since 2015 without proper documentation, prompting deportation proceedings.
A South Korean appellate court has handed down a 22-year prison sentence to a Chinese man for beating his 14-year-old daughter to death in Ansan. The court rejected arguments that the killing was impulsive, emphasizing the extreme cruelty of the attack.
A Singaporean man hired to teach at a private educational facility pleaded guilty to systematically abusing primary school pupils, including starving a six-year-old for 18 hours and forcing him to drink urine. He faces sentencing in August.
Malaysia's Social Welfare Department has issued a stern warning against publishing or sharing content that reveals children's identities on digital platforms, particularly following a recent viral school incident.
TikTok has agreed to settle a lawsuit brought by a teenage plaintiff who claimed the platform harmed his mental health. The agreement marks the second major platform settlement in an ongoing California trial series examining social media's role in youth mental health crises.
Children are embracing artificial intelligence technologies at rates triple that of adults, according to new UNICEF data from 10 countries, prompting urgent calls for stronger governance and child protection measures.
The US House passed legislation requiring online platforms to protect children through age verification and parental controls. However, the Senate is pushing for stricter provisions that would hold tech companies legally accountable for promoting harmful content to minors.
Parliament has approved amendments to child protection legislation that allow Malaysia to prosecute sexual offences against children committed overseas by individuals with Malaysian connections, while respecting other nations' legal authority.
Malaysian parliamentarians have called for comprehensive reforms to combat child sexual abuse, including international cooperation mechanisms, specialized task forces, and enhanced victim support services during debate on the Sexual Offences Against Children (Amendment) Bill 2026.
Police in Temerloh have detained a male teacher as they investigate allegations that the educator sexually assaulted a 14-year-old male student. The case highlights renewed concerns about safeguarding measures in schools.
Police have remanded a babysitter for three days following the death of an 11-month-old girl in Bedong, Kedah. The custody extension will allow investigators to gather evidence and statements.
Indonesia's government has enforced new rules requiring social media companies to deactivate accounts belonging to children under 16. TikTok removed 4.1 million accounts while YouTube deleted 600,000, according to the communications minister.
Malaysia's Education Ministry will partner with the Human Rights Commission to launch awareness campaigns on child protection legislation, addressing bullying and sexual offences in schools.
Malaysia's Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil has announced that social media platforms must implement secure age-verification mechanisms under the Child Protection Code, effective June 1. Users must be at least 16 years old to access accounts.
Ireland's Prime Minister Micheál Martin has indicated that support is consolidating across Europe for restricting children's access to social media platforms, with the European Commission expected to present formal proposals within months.
Malaysia is expanding its Sexual Offences Against Children Act to prosecute child sex crimes committed overseas by Malaysian citizens or permanent residents, and offences against Malaysian children abroad.
Authorities in Terengganu have apprehended a man suspected of committing sexual offences against his underage daughter. The arrest follows reports of abuse involving the 15-year-old victim, signalling continued enforcement action against domestic violence.
A Malaysian paediatrician practising in Perth, Australia, faces 33 child sex-related charges spanning nine alleged victims, following a comprehensive police investigation into his conduct.
A 67-year-old pensioner in Muar has been sentenced to 33 years imprisonment and 14 strokes of the cane after pleading guilty to raping and sexually assaulting his two granddaughters across five criminal charges.
A US appeals court has reinstated Ohio's Social Media Parental Notification Act, which mandates parental consent for children's use of social media and gaming platforms, marking a significant victory for child protection advocates.
A US appeals court has upheld Ohio's Social Media Parental Notification Act, which requires parental consent before children under 16 can access platforms like Instagram and TikTok. The ruling reverses a lower court block and reflects global moves to protect young people from social media risks.