-let's talk in english-

Recognizing Abuse
Kathryn Patricelli, MA

Abuse is not the easiest thing in the world to recognize, even if it is happening to you directly. Not everyone who is being abused understands that what they are experiencing is abuse. Some may recognize that something isn't right about how they are treated, but they may be afraid to speak up and name it as abuse for fear of retribution from their abuser. The following list describes various interactions that people might have that are examples of abuse. If one or more of these things is happening to you, there is very good chance that you are being abused.

0 Being physically, sexually, or emotionally hurt and/or violated by your partner on a regular basis.
0 Being called hurtful names and/or being put down by partner on a regular basis.
0 Being controlled by partner. For instance, if your partner tells you that you are not allowed to have friends, leave the house without his permission, or tells you that you are not allowed to pursue your own goals growth, such as attending school or finding work.
0 Becoming more withdrawn so that you do not spend much time with others who may clue in to the fact that abuse is happening to you.
0 Finding yourself making excuses for partner’s bad and harmful behavior (perhaps so that you won't have to accept the fact that abuse is happening).
0 Recognizing that your relationship has a pattern or cycle in which something abusive occurs, you tell partner that you will not tolerate the abuse anymore, but then forgiving your partner when he or she apologizes.
0 Blaming yourself for bad things your partner has done to you. For example, telling yourself that you are really difficult to live with so you deserve to be hit.
0 Feeling trapped in your own home and being fearful when you know partner is coming home.

If you are a third party to a potentially abusive situation (suspected child abuse, domestic abuse or elder abuse), it may be difficult to know if abuse is happening in any direct manner. You might need to rely on circumstantial evidence to identify the abuse. The following list suggests things to look for that could be indicative of abuse.

0 There are physical signs of injury, such as bruises, sores, burns, cuts, or black eyes. Such injuries may be hidden (e.g., behind sunglasses or with clothing)
0 The victim makes implausible excuses for injuries or absences ("I fell down the stairs").
0 The victim displays personality changes (angry, depressed, moody, defensive, etc.)
0 The victim becomes withdrawn, or suddenly fearful.
0 The victim becomes depressed, or more irritable or agitated than normal.
0 The victim has difficulty sleeping at night, or may display excessive tiredness (can be a symptom of depression)
0 The victim's appetite changes for better or worse. Weight loss or gain may occur (can be a symptom of depression).
0 The victim's self-esteem lowers.
0 The victim is distracted and has difficulty concentrating.
0 The victim neglects hygiene (becomes smelly, goes unwashed; may be an attempt to ward off a sexual predator if a child, or as a consequence of depression).
0 Changes are noted in the victim's personal appearance or in the appearance of his or her home or living environment.
0 The victim complains of pain in the genital region (more common in children).
0 For older children and adults, the victim 'acts out', becoming sexually promiscuous, and/or using drugs.
0 Elders may display confusion

Know Your Rights
Abusive Behaviour and Change


Serina* has been going out with John* for six years since they were in college. Having a quiet disposition, Serina always let John make the decisions in their relationship, from which film to watch to recently when they were thinking of purchasing a house together. John has always been protective and possessive of Serina's attention. Initially, Serina thought it to be a sign of his commitment. However, it has escalated to an extent where she was not allowed to spend time with her friends without him around, and he would question every male friend she has. He became suspicious of her male colleagues and they have been having more and more arguments because of his excessive jealousy. Not only that, John checks her mobilephone at the end of the day to see the phonecalls and SMSes she has made or received. Sometimes, John became so violently angry that he punched and hit her. However, after every violent incident, he would cry and apologise about his "bad temper", promising to change. Holding on to his promise, Serina gave him chance after chance.

However, she is beginning to feel more and more suffocated by the relationship. Thinking that things might change if they separated for a while, Serina ventured to discuss this with John. He became aggressively livid and began accusing her of having another man. He would not listen when Serina denied it and in fact started to hurl objects around the room at her. Worried for herown safety, Serina left the place and stayed over with a friend. She started to question the state of her relationship with John. Will he change?

Abusive men batter women to have power and control over their intimate partner in order to manipulate, intimidate and rule over them. Men who abuse their partners come from all races, religions, socioeconomic classes, areas of the world, educational levels and occupations. Although they may appear normal and even charming to outsiders, and even to their partners at first, once a relationship is established, they become more and more abusive.

Although there is no guarantee that men who abuse can change, it is possible for them to learn to change how they act, and more positive ways of relating to women. Men who abuse must want to change. If a man really wants to stop the violence against his partner, he must take responsibility for his action. He must stop blaming his partner, alcohol, stress, drug or anything else for provoking him to be violent. Men can also seek counselling and agree to attend several sessions.

HOW DO YOU KNOW IF THE ABUSER IS CHANGING?

While a boyfriend or husband may apologise for his actions and vow to change, this can be another phase in manipulating the wife or girlfriend to stay. Consider the following questions before deciding if he has changed or is changing:

Some signs that he is changing:

• Has he completely stopped saying and doing things that frighten you?
• Can you express your anger toward him without being punished for it?
• Can he argue without being abusive or domineering?
• Does it feel safe to bring up topics that you know upset him?
• Can he listen to your opinion and respect it even when he disagrees?
• Does he respect your wishes about sex and physical contact?
• Has he stopped expecting you to do things for him?
• Can you spend time with your friends without being afraid that he will retaliate?
• Can you do other things that are important to you, such as go to school or get a job?
• Are you comfortable with the way he interacts with the children, if you have any?
• Do you feel safe leaving them alone with him?
• Is he being supportive and does he give compliments? Does he listen to what you have to say?
• Does he do his share of housework and childcare?

If the answers to most of the above are positive, then chances are, the abuser really wants to change and is making a difference.

Some signs that he is NOT changing:

• If he is receiving counselling or treatment, does he use it against you in anyway? Does he tell you that he is not as bad as the other abusers there?
• Does he tell you that you are abusive?
• Does he tell you that you owe him another chance?
• Does he say that he can't change without your support?
• Does he try to get you or the children to feel sorry for him?
• Does he instil fear in the children about the future, or finances, or where they'll live etc?
• Do you have to keep after him to attend his counselling sessions?
• Is he making his abuse sound like a lot less than it really is when he talks about it?
• Is he pressuring you to drop any protection order you may have against him?

If the answers to most of them are yes, then he is not changing his abusive behaviour.

Although everyone wants to have a healthy and long-lasting relationship, not all relationships are that way. To help build a healthy relationship, consider:

Respect

This means acting in ways that show you value your partner. You listen to his or her ideas even when they are different from yours and you treat your partner as an equal. This also means not forcing your partner to act in ways that are contrary to their wishes.

Understanding

Being understanding means that you think about your partner's feelings and that you care about how your behaviour might affect him or her, and your relationship.

Responsibility

This means that your partner can count on you. You take care not to harm your partner by, in example, taking risks that could lead to sexually transmitted diseases. To get more information, call a woman's organisation or your nearest Welfare Office.

*Names changed to protect WAO's client's confidentiality.
Prepared by Jaclyn KeeWomen's Aid Organisation - 20 Years of Service to Women and Children

Stop Violence Against Women Campaign

Violence against women is a human rights scandal. At least one out of every three women has been beaten, coerced into sex, or otherwise abused in her lifetime.
In Europe, domestic violence is the major cause of death and disability for women aged 16 to 44.
In the United States, a woman is raped every 6 minutes; a woman is battered every 15 seconds.
Rape of women is widespread in armed conflicts such as Colombia and Darfur.
Trafficking of women has become a global phenomenon where victims are sexually exploited, forced into labor and subjected to abuse. Murders of women in Guatemala, Russia, India, and other countries often go uninvestigated and unpunished.
The experience or threat of violence affects the lives of women everywhere, cutting across boundaries of wealth, race and culture. In the home and in the community, in times of war and peace, women are beaten, raped, mutilated, and killed with impunity.
In 2004, Amnesty International launched its global Stop Violence Against Women Campaign to help break the silence around this scandal, stop the violence, and create a world where women and girls are afforded their basic human rights. Across the globe, Amnesty International members have united to work towards making women's human rights a reality; the campaign is intended as a contribution to the efforts of the women's rights movements around the world. With this campaign, Amnesty International will show that the right of women to be free from violence is integral to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. As long as violence against women continues, the promise to humanity of the Universal Declaration cannot be fulfilled.
How Amnesty International's Campaign Will Stop Violence Against Women
To acheive its goals in helping to end violence against women, Amnesty International is:
Urging governments and armed groups to end impunity for violence against women during times of conflict and post-conflict
Demanding that governments abolish discriminatory laws and practices that perpetrate violence against women in the family and in the community
Calling for the adoption of new laws and policies to provide women protection from violence
We support women's human rights defenders, and we are urging governments to ratify the Treaty for the Rights of Women (CEDAW) and its protocol without reservations.
In the US, we have worked in support of anti-violence legislation and other national initiatives to stop violence against women. We have worked to increase public awareness of violence against women as a global human rights issue and to contribute to efforts to challenge attitudes and behaviors that perpetuate violence against women.
Amnesty International has used a human rights framework to guide its campaigning work to stop violence against women. By using a human rights framework to oppose violence against women, we help to change the perception of violence against women from a private matter to a public concern that requires action from recognized authorities. Use of the framework also enables Amnesty International to use international human rights standards and laws to cut across national boundaries, cultures and religions to protest violence against women in all its forms. And perhaps most importantly, it makes it possible to use international remedies to hold governments accountable if they fail to meet their obligations to protect women from violence, regardless of who commits it or where it's committed.

Kota Kinabalu: Anyone who dares to suggest that his wife is no longer attractive will be courting legal trouble soon.

Plans are afoot to amend the Domestic Violence Act (DVA) 1994 to include a clause on emotional violence against women. Presently, the Act only provides for legal procedures that protect women against physical abuse.

Women Development Department Director-General, Dato' Dr Noorul Ainur Mohd Nur, said it is timely to amend the DVA to safeguard women both physically and emotionally.

"One of the department's focus is to amend the DVA by including a clause that will defend and protect women when they are emotionally abused by men, particularly husbands.

"The department, which is under the Ministry of Women Development, Family and Community, is in the process of bringing the proposed amendment to Parliament to be approved," she said.

Dr. Noorul described emotional violence as abuse that would scar women's emotions deeply and lower their self-esteem, dignity and self-confidence.

An example would be when a husband tells his wife she is ugly or humiliates her until she feels emotionally pressured, she said.

On the proposed penalty for emotional violence, she said it is yet to be finalised. She said this in a press conference at the closing of a seminar on how to curb violence against women at Wisma Wanita here, on Tuesday.

Community Development and Consumer Affairs Minister, Datuk Azizah Mohd Dun closed the seminar organised by the Sabah Women Affairs Department.

About 300 participants including civil servants, students and non-governmental organisations (NGO) attended the one-day seminar.

The main objective of the seminar was to expose participants particularly young women to steps that can be taken should they fall victim to violence.

Also present were Permanent Secretary to Azizah's Ministry, Datin Asnimar Sukardi and Sabah Women Affairs Department director, Siti Sapoo Hj. Ahok.

In her speech earlier Dr Noorul said the annual rise in the number of sex crimes involving women and children in the country was actually indicative of the growing level of public awareness to report such cases.

"Don't let the statistics fool you with all the high numbers of rape, outraging of modesty and sodomy cases in our country.

"It shows the awareness of the public to come forward to report such heinous crimes to the police.

"Even in incest cases, the mothers of the victims courageously come forward to lodge police reports," she said.

Dr Noorul said rape was still the most common sex crime committed against women and children in the country followed by molest and sodomy.

In 2005, she said the department recorded 1,931 rapes followed by molest (973) and sodomy (71) and that these cases continued to rise in 2006 with rape accounting for 2,041 cases, 1,066 molest and 71 sodomy cases.

In 2007, she said there were 3,098 rape cases followed by 2,228 molest and 101 sodomy cases. And in 2008, the number of rapes rose to 3,098 cases followed by 2,228 molest and 130 sodomy cases.

Dr. Noorul said the police statistics for 2008 also revealed a 10 per cent increase in rape cases compared to 2007.

She said the growing awareness to report such cases was a new phenomenon compared to 10 to 20 years ago when many families would have been more concerned about the family's reputation and therefore embarrassed to report the crimes .

Thursday November 27, 2008

Stories by JANE F. RAGAVAN
A radio station is doing its bit to raise public awareness of domestic violence.
RAMLI Salleh hits his wife for forgetting something. Tan Chin Siang chooses to ignore the
arguments and screaming next door, and Thiru Arumugam discourages his sister from reporting
"just a slap" since their mother tolerated it before.
Violence in the home often goes unreported.
Only one of these men raises his hand against his wife but they all play a part in domestic
violence.
They are actually "protagonists" in a new public service message (PSM) for Women's Aid
Organisation (WAO) that's been airing over the radio lately. The presentation of the message in
the form of an awards show has the three men up for the best actor trophy.
Ramli is the abusive husband in She Cries At Night, Tan, the apathetic neighbour in Heavy
Hands, and Thiru, the unsupportive brother in Devil's Advocate. They all mirror real-life roles in
domestic violence.
And as in real life, nobody wins in this type of situation, least of all the women who are abused.
"You can never stop highlighting that domestic violence is wrong," says WAO executive director
Ivy Josiah, who sees radio as a good medium for reaching out to all ages and backgrounds.
"There needs to be consistency in educating the public, it cannot be a one-off event.
Ivy Josiah, executive director of WAO
"We've often tried to engage TV and radio in our campaigns," she says. "Our public work, for
example, handing out postcards with relevant messages, only reaches a limited group of
people, mostly those who attend our functions or visit our website."
The people responsible for the PSM are AMP Radio Networks, a wholly owned subsidiary of
Astro All Asia Networks plc, which produced it free of charge for WAO.
The PSM is aired mostly on LiteFM, a station managed by AMP. It has a listenership of 439,000
and is the No.4 English-language radio station in the country.
It comes on throughout the day between commercials and in every half-hour segment, you can
sometimes hear it twice. That's a significant amount of time to remind people of the serious
problem that affects one woman out of three in the world.
That the PSM is in English, however, restricts its reach. Nevertheless, Josiah is happy with the
initiative and hopes that more radio stations will allot airtime for such messages.
"At present, most of the WAO's educational material is in English and some of it is in other
languages," she says. "We would like to say in the future that all our material is available in
Malay, Chinese and Tamil."
Freddie Kam, a copywriter with AMP's English stations and the man behind the PSM idea, says
he and his team took about a week to come up with it.
"I remember as a child, hearing young kids and women screaming in the neighbouring homes
and that stuck with me," he says.
"And so when my boss asked me to come up with a PSM, the first issue that came to mind was
domestic violence."
AMP produced the PSM on its own initiative, produced in-house and paid for by an internal
budget.
"There was no prompting from us," says Josiah. "We really appreciate that. This demonstrates
how well-known the work of the WAO is."
The voice talents also did it for free.
"Except for one voice talent, everyone else was from AMP," says Kam.
To give you an inkling of the cost of just part of the production had the segment been a paid
advertisement, the going rate for voice talents in radio commercials is RM10 per second and
there were seven or eight of them involved in the one-minute PSM.
Once production was completed, AMP took it to the WAO for approval.
"The various scenarios (in the PSM) depict the actual situations accurately. We don't want to
reinforce the myth that domestic violence just happens among the drunk and poor.
"In the 26 years of WAO, we still find educated women who think it is their fault when their
husbands abuse them. They think they have failed as wives and need to be disciplined," Josiah
says.
Like most portrayals in the Malaysian media, there's the inclusion of a Malay, Chinese and
Indian in the PSM. But in this case, it's an accurate representation of the fact that domestic
violence cuts across all ethnic groups.
"We've received positive feedback from everyone who has heard it," says Josiah.
But more importantly, since the PSM started airing, she says the WAO has been receiving more
calls to its counselling line.
In a radio initiative in 1998 primarily to raise awareness on the Domestic Violence Act, which
had been implemented two years earlier, WAO started receiving more phone calls for
information and counselling. Its profile was raised as more people associated the organisation
with domestic violence aid.
In the first six months of this year, WAO received 371 phone calls from victims, friends and
family members asking social workers for advice on domestic violence. The WAO Refuge, which
is also a centre for the organisation's activities relating to family, women and domestic violence
issues, provided shelter to 35 battered women and their children.
A lot of violence in the home often goes unreported but the number has been rising, with
victims increasingly recognising their rights and the need to speak up. Last year, there were
3,756 reports of domestic violence made to the police compared with 3,264 in 2006 and 2,093
the year before.
"We would like to have a radio show. We have enough issues to talk about," says Josiah.
And talk about it, we must. Whether you are a victim or know it's happening to someone else,
you need to speak up. As the PSM so clearly reminds us, "when something is wrong, act right".
 If you haven't heard the PSM on the radio yet, go to wao.org.my and click on the public
service message button. WAO's counselling line is Tel: 03-7956 3488.

How to stop being a victim
Posted on April 18, 2008
By Esther Kane, MSW RCCwww.estherkane.com
In an earlier article,

I wrote about dealing with narcissists. So, in this article, I thought I could expand further by sharing some of my thoughts with you about an equally important piece of that puzzle: not being a victim.
How are they related, you ask? Well, let's just say that you may not even know (or care) what a narcissist is if you feel strong and empowered and don't take abuse from anyone. You see, people who see themselves as "victims" of other people's behaviors are at higher risk for being treated badly than those who don't see themselves that way. It may sound simple in theory, but it very challenging to change if you grew up with abuse.
Perhaps an example would help.
A client of mine came to see me and spent almost the full hour describing her father's treatment of her. She listed all of the horrible things he says and does to her and it quickly became clear that he was of the "narcissist-variety" of human. He put her down in front of others, called her names, expected her full and undivided attention and when he didn't get it, he abused her verbally, and so on.
When I asked her to come up with some ideas as to how she could not be at the receiving end of this intolerable behavior, she just sat there looking at me blankly. I then gently spoke to her about how much choice she had about what she experienced with her father and she answered, "I don't have any. He's my father." I felt very sad for her in that moment and yet I could totally relate.
If we grow up in a family where people treat us badly (especially one or more of our parents), we learn on some level, that we deserve such treatment. This woman had resigned herself to a life filled with people treating her like dirt and felt that there was nothing she could do to change it.
But the good news is that she was seeing me (I believe) because on another level, she knew that this wasn't acceptable and wanted to learn tools to protect herself from her abusive father and others like him. She also knew deep down, that she deserved better. When I worded it this way, she agreed with me and we were able to start brainstorming ideas to enable her to protect herself from abuse in the future, as well as ideas about how to attract kinder, gentler people who made her feel good about herself into her life.
What I say in my book, Dump That Chump is applicable here: "What you expect is what you get." If you expect to be treated badly, guess what? You will be treated badly. However, if you treat yourself as the fabulous goddess that you are, and expect only the best, guess what? Other people will treat you like that too!
I must say again that this is much easier said than done. But that doesn't mean you can't do it. It takes two things: time and practice. The more you refuse to be a victim, the more seriously people will take you and your boundaries. You don't even have to believe that you are a fabulous goddess (although I already know you are); you just have to act as if and the rest will fall into place.
The first step in not being a victim is to realize that you don't have to be one and that you deserve to be treated well. To help you in this vein, I'd like to end by sharing with you something I used in my work with abused women when I ran groups for social service agencies. I'm not sure of the origin and I apologize for this. I did not write it and bless the person who did. Feel free to post it somewhere where you will be reminded daily of its contents:
My personal Bill of Rights
I have the right to make my own choices.
I have the right to follow my own values and standards, as long as I am not abusive towards others.

I have a right to dignity and respect.
I have a right to all of my feelings.
I have the right to express myself as long as I am not abusive toward others.
I have a right to determine and honor my own priorities.
I have a right to recognize and accept my own value system as appropriate.
I have a right to have my needs and wants respected by others.
I have the right to say no when I feel I am not ready, unsafe, or if it violates my values.
I have the right to make mistakes and not have to be perfect.
I have the right not to be responsible for others' behavior, actions, feelings, or problems.
I have a right to be uniquely me, without feeling I'm not good enough.
I have the right to make decisions based on my feelings and judgment for any reason.
I have the right to change my mind at any time.
I have the right to my personal space and time needs.
I have the right to be flexible and be comfortable with doing so.
I have the right to be in a safe, non-abusive environment.
I have the right to forgive others and forgive myself.
I have the right to give and receive unconditional love.
I have the right to enjoy being sexual and celebrate my sexuality.
I have the right to my own spiritual beliefs and to celebrate them.
I have the right to grieve when I don't get what I need.
I have the right to grieve when I get something I didn't need or want.
I have the right to joyfully receive without feeling guilty.
I have the right to healthy relationships of my choice.
I have the right to be angry with someone I love.
I have the right to be, and can be, healthier than those around me.
I have the right to trust others who earn my trust.
I have the right to terminate conversations for any reason.
I have a right to expect honesty from others.
I have the right to change and grow.
I have the right to follow my own path.
I have the right to be happy.

Safety Plan For Abuse Victims

A safety plan is always designed for people who are in an abusive relationship, but what about those who left and are still being harassed and abused? Sometimes for many, the abuse never goes away. The abuser still lurks around like a “Peeping Tom.”

They will show up where they don’t belong and if children are involved, the woman still has to associate with the abuser. How does a woman overcome the abuse? How does she gain back the emotional strength she lost due to the abuse she endured? How does she now deal with the abuser even after she left the relationship? To help establish whether or not you are still threatened by your abuser or whether or not the abuser still has control over your emotions, carefully answer the questions below. I

f you answered yes to one of the questions, you may still be experiencing abuse: mental, emotional, and verbal abuse.

Do you feel anxious when your ex partner is located around you? For example, having to pick up the children.

Does your safety still feel threatened?

Do you find yourself agreeing with your ex partner, changing your beliefs and opinions in order to make peace and avoid confrontation?

Do you feel unsafe in your own home?

A one-way-ticket to freedom is to get your power and control back: the power and control of oneself. Many women experience physical and psychological problems after they leave an abusive relationship. Some receive the help of counseling while others try to help themselves on their own with no support from family or friends.

There are some tips and guidence to prevent abuse to women....

1.Teach and educate about violence. This can be most effective by educating young people to help them understand that violence is never an acceptable behavior.

2.Promote violence awareness. When people become aware of the statistics and effects domestic violence has on lives and communities, it keeps the issue alive and important.

3.Speak out against violence. Talking about the seriousness of domestic violence amongst friends, family and other community members also helps to keep the importance out there.

4.Take a stand against entertainment, music and jokes that might trivialize violence. Also, stand up against comments that blame the victim.

5.Organize fundraisers to support the local efforts behind violence prevention and awareness. The better funded the programs are, the more reach they can have.

6.Encourage communities to establish centers for violence. Those that are being domestically abused will go get help when they know that it is readily available.

7.Support local laws and legislation aimed at supporting and protecting against violence. When stricter laws and legislation are in play, abusers tend to think twice, while those that have been abused feel more secure with turning to law enforcement for help.

Friday, 11 September 2009 09:49am
©The Star
KUCHING: It has been confirmed that Penan girls and women were raped and molested by timber company workers in Sarawak’s Ulu Baram district.

A special committee, set up by the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry, revealed that sexual abuses against Penan women and girls by timber workers as reported by The Star last year did take place in the Baram district.

The special committee, set up last October to investigate the allegations, documented at least eight cases of rape and molest of Penan women and girls in its report.

The report said one of the victims was raped by a timber worker when she hitched a ride in the company’s vehicle to go to school.

Another was raped twice, in 2005 and 2007, by a man she recognised as a timber worker at a logging camp.

The report also said schoolgirls were often molested by lorry drivers while travelling to school in timber company vehicles.

It documented one incident where a lorry driver groped a 14-year-old girl’s breasts.

In another incident, it said a lorry driver tried to molest a group of 10-year-old girls, but they escaped.

The report concluded that “allegations of sexual abuse against Penan girls and women by outsiders, includ¬ing timber workers, did indeed occur”.

It highlighted the vulnerability of Penan schoolgirls to such abuse because of their dependence on timber vehicles to transport them to and from school.

“Logging tracks are often the only means of access to their villages,” it said, adding that schools and clinics were four to six hours away.

On addressing the sexual abuse, the report called for programmes to raise awareness among the Penans on personal safety, sex educa¬tion and violence against women.

It also recommended the appointment of “trusted” lorry drivers and student management assistants to escort Penan schoolchildren back to their villages.

The report also found that the Penans had little access to registration, healthcare and education due to poverty and the remoteness of their settlements. It said many Penans did not have personal documents while their children had a high drop-out rate at school.

“All these issues are closely related to imbalanced development. The lack of infrastructure such as roads and public transport make it difficult for the Penans to communicate with the outside world, including government agencies.

“The Penans also feel neglected because of negative perceptions and prejudices against them,” it said.

Meanwhile, the Bruno Manser Fund, which first broke the Penans’ allegations of sexual abuse last September, welcomed the release of the special committee’s report.

However, it voiced concern that the report did not have any legal consequences for the perpetrators.

“It is high time that those responsible for the crimes described in the report face the legal consequences of their conduct,” it said in a statement released on the Borneo Project web site.