Attorney General and Public Prosecutor Datin Seri Paduka Dayang Hajah Nor Hashimah Haji Muhammed Taib has highlighted four key pillars in protecting children from online sexual exploitation and abuse: law enforcement, appropriate penalties, public awareness and international cooperation.
She outlined the measures during a lecture entitled “Brunei Darussalam’s Perspective on Protecting Children in the Digital Age”, held in conjunction with the 16th China-ASEAN Prosecutors-General Conference.
Drawing on Brunei Darussalam’s legal framework and selected prosecution cases, the Attorney General highlighted how digital platforms can be used to groom and exploit children, coerce them into sharing intimate images, and circulate child sexual abuse material.
She also noted that offenders may be individuals whom children already know and trust, while fear, shame and self-blame can prevent victims from reporting abuse.
On prevention, she highlighted the Attorney General’s Chambers’ Cybercrime Awareness Programme, launched in 2014, which has conducted school awareness talks and collaborated with relevant agencies to help young people recognise online risks and understand when to seek help.
The Attorney General emphasised that protecting children online is a shared responsibility involving families, educational institutions, government agencies, telecommunications service providers and the wider community.
The lecture was attended by prosecutors-general and attorneys-general from China and ASEAN member states, as well as representatives from the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and their respective delegations.
Officials from the Prime Minister’s Office, the Royal Brunei Police Force and the Department of Community Development were also present, alongside lecturers and students from Universiti Islam Sultan Sharif Ali and Laksamana College of Business.
Brunei Darussalam is hosting the conference under the theme “Protecting Children in the Digital Age: Harmonising Legal Frameworks and International Cooperation”. The plenary session is scheduled to commence the following day.