This article first appeared on FMT. Image is sourced from FMT.

Convicted serial rapist Selva Kumar Subbiah, who is expected to be deported to Malaysia soon, cannot be allowed to move around freely in society as he is still considered a person of high risk, a criminologist said today.

Universiti Sains Malaysia criminologist Prof P Sundramoorthy urged the police and the Attorney-General’s Chambers to study the Prevention of Crime Act (Poca) and The Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (Sosma) to check if Selva Kumar can be monitored constantly.

“He is a walking time bomb. An offender like him compares to none,” Sundramoorthy told FMT.

He pointed to a report in the Toronto Star which stated that during his June 2016 parole hearing, the board was told that Selva Kumar was still considered a grave risk to society.

The case management team reported that Selva Kumar was likely to commit an offence causing death or serious harm to another person prior to the expiration of his parole.

The report also said he will continue to struggle in the areas of victim empathy, remorse and his inability to take full responsibility for his personal choices, resulting in his lack of mitigation in risk.

“Warnings have already been given by the Canadian authorities,” said Sundramoorthy, adding that habitual sex offenders and habitual violent offenders are a constant threat to society, women and children.

“This is a fact. It is questionable if someone tells you these people can be treated just because of the success of one or two cases,” said Sundramoorthy.

He said this is why there were a number of repeat offenders.

To monitor them, Sundramoorthy said the country needed to set up a sex offenders registry, adding there were discussions but nothing came out of them.

Selva Kumar was sentenced to 24 years in prison in 1992 after he was found guilty of 19 counts of sexual assault, 28 counts of administering a drug or noxious substance, 10 counts of various kinds of assault and a dozen other charges, including extortion.

Canadian news sources have dubbed him as possibly Canada’s worst rapist, who used powerful drugs to render his victims unconscious before he molested and raped them.

His deportation has raised concern among Malaysians but police said they have to abide by laws prevailing in the country.

“We are not empowered to do more than just ‘watch’ him from afar’, Inspector-General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar had said.