The human rights commission said all school settings should be safe for students, particularly those with special needs.

In a statement today, it urged the education ministry and schools to immediately implement robust safeguards to curb sexual abuse and assault.

These include accessible channels for students and staff to report incidents, and comprehensive training to recognise and respond to abuse.

“Suhakam urges the police and law enforcement agencies to conduct investigations that are transparent, fair, and centred on the needs of children, emphasising trauma-informed practices and the safety of all children involved.

“To this end, it is essential for the police to establish guidelines for interacting with disabled persons in procedures, such as taking statements and reports from both victims and perpetrators,” it said.

Last week, police said two reports had been lodged after two 16-year-old students allegedly assaulted two disabled students, aged 17 and 13, in the male dormitory of their school in Marang.

Marang police chief Sofian Redzuan said no arrest had been made as the investigation had not been completed at the time.