Malaysian mums top list as child abusers

In a surprising finding, the highest number of child abusers turn out to be the hand that rocks the cradle the victim's mother.

Malaysian Deputy Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Heng Seai Kie said statistics from the past three years had revealed that most child abusers were parents themselves and in particular, mothers.

'Mothers make up 25.4 per cent of perpetrators in child abuse cases while 18.9 per cent are fathers.

'Together, parents comprise 44.3 per cent of child abusers in incidents recorded nationwide last year,' she said in her speech at the third national conference of the Association of Registered Child Care Providers Malaysia.