KUALA LUMPUR: Parents should educate children to beware of sweet-talking strangers who may turn out to be sexual predators.

This was the advice of crime watch groups and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) contacted by The Malay Mail.

Recently, there was the case of a serial cabbie-rapist who preyed on schoolgirls (he has since been charged). And now, the arrest of two men suspected of raping five schoolgirls from two secondary schools in Ampang.

Malaysian Crime Prevention Foundation exco member Tan Sri Robert Phang said schoolgirls were prone to socialising with strangers without realising how dangerous the outside world can be.

"Sometimes all it takes are little compliments by predatory men and young girls are easily impressed by the attention they get from adults," he said.

"And when the girls receive gifts from such men, they feel grateful and would go out with them."

Phang said the solution was for parents to take a serious interest in knowing where their children go to and who they meet with.

"Parents should explain to their children to be cautious when befriending strangers and going to dangerous places," he said.

"Parents should also make it their duty to send and pick their children up from school."

Public Education Committee chairman for Crime Prevention, Kamal Effendi, said society needed to look into ways to minimise the number of crime victims, including those who fell prey to sexual predators.

"As a society we need to stop solely focusing on how we should punish the criminal. We also need to pool our resources and think intelligently on how to protect our children," he said.

"There are paedophiles who prey on children below 18 years because it is easier to lure such victims who are more susceptible to kindness and gifts. There are girls who, to keep up with their peers and to be trendy, are seduced with gifts of handphones, make-up and money."

Protect and Save the Children Association's director of training and education, Nooreen Preusser, said young girls with low self-esteem are especially vulnerable.

"The first person who compliments them is perceived as a nice guy and they easily fall for it," said Preusser.

"Some of these victims are not highly-educated and less aware about personal safety, and they have not been taught to say 'no' when faced with such situations."

She said some parents also have problems discussing "adult matters" including sex with children.

Women's Aid Organisation of Malaysia executive director Ivy Josiah said it was not only schoolgirls, but also mature women, who have been duped by sexual predators.

"We live in a society where children are not taught how to react to adults. Schoolchildren, especially girls, are vulnerable as they can be too trusting towards strangers," she said.

"We need to teach girls to be more aware of not falling for sweet-talking men who bring them flowers and gifts. But it's good that those victimised have now come forward to expose the culprits."

Source: The Malay Mail, 22 July 2010