Headmaster under probe over alleged sexual harassment files police report over viral video

IPOH: A 56-year-old headmaster in Bagan Datuk, who is under investigation over alleged sexual harassment of a Form Three student, has lodged a police report after being assaulted by the student's family in an incident captured in viral videos.

Perak police chief Datuk Mohd Alwi Zainal Abidin said the report was lodged on Oct 25, a day after the student's family filed a report on Oct 24.

He said the headmaster was dissatisfied with videos showing him being confronted and assaulted by the family.

Police are investigating the assault under Section 323 of the Penal Code for voluntarily causing hurt and the viral videos under Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 for improper use of network facilities or services.

"The teacher lodged a police report on Oct 25 as he was dissatisfied with the viral video. However, we will conduct a thorough investigation into this matter as it involves a civil servant.

"In this case, we found that the victim's family confronted the teacher over allegations that he had called the student to express feelings of love and affection," he said at a press conference at the Perak police headquarters today.

Alwi said police had recorded statements from nine witnesses, including the headmaster.

He added that the report lodged by the student's mother was being investigated under Section 15(a) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017.

Earlier, Education Minister Datuk Seri Fadhlina Sidek instructed the Perak Education Department to conduct a thorough investigation into the allegations.

She said the headmaster had been temporarily transferred to the Bagan Datuk district education office pending the outcome of the investigation.