2006 10: Boy’s death – couple charged

The Star online. News. Courts. Thursday October 19, 2006

By MARSHA TAN
marsha@thestar.com.my

JOHOR BARU: A woman and her boyfriend have been slapped with three charges over the death of her three-year-old son.

Lu: Pleaded not guilty to the chargesTan Chew Yan, 22, and Lu Song Seng, 21, were charged in the Sessions Court yesterday with causing the death of Henry Lau Jun Wei, at 3, Jalan Kebudayaan 27, Taman Universiti in Skudai at 3.45pm between Oct 1 and 4.

They were also charged under Section 31(1)(a) and Section 31(1)(b) of the Children’s Act 2001 with causing physical hurt to, and sexually abusing, Lau.

Lu pleaded not guilty to the charges but Tan, who is Henry’s mother, appeared to be in a daze and did not make any plea when the Chinese interpreter read out the charges to her.

Judge Mohd Jamil Hussin set bail at RM15,000 in one surety for Lu and ordered Tan to be sent to Hospital Permai for a one-month mental observation.

Mohd Jamil set the mention date for Nov 20.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Ahmad Akran Gharib prosecuted. Tan was not represented by counsel.

Lu’s defence counsel S. Gunapati requested that both accused be sent to the psychiatric hospital as the couple had been living together.

However, the judge said Lu seemed normal to him and had understood the charges read out to him, so there was no reason to send him for mental observation.

Earlier, when brought to the court at 2.40pm, Tan was seen shielding her face from photographers. Her in-laws then covered her face with a cardigan.

At 3.30pm, her boyfriend arrived and sat next to her outside the court, and although he tried to talk to her, she did not respond.