2007 04: Bound over for stabbing her son 8-year-old son

NST online. Local News. 21/04/07

KUALA LUMPUR: She had just delivered her eighth child and was suffering from postnatal depression.

Her 8-year-old son was being naughty. She had to prepare lunch. She could not take the pressure.

She picked up a kitchen knife and stabbed the boy.

Katijah Kassim, 34, then slipped and fell over the balcony from her first floor flat last month resulting in fractures in both legs and a crack in the spine.

She was brought to the magistrate’s court yesterday in dramatic fashion — her 38-year-old husband carried her into the dock.

Magistrate Aizatul Akmal Maharani did not send her to jail although the offence of causing hurt was punishable with three years’ jail or fine or whipping, or with any two of the punishments.

Aizatul bound her over in the sum of RM3,000 on a good behaviour bond for three years.

He, however, warned Katijah that if she committed a similar offence again the court would not be lenient anymore.

He also ordered Katijah to pay RM500 as prosecution charges.

Katijah pleaded guilty to stabbing her son with a knife at her home in Jalan 7/116B, Kuchai Entrepreneurs Park here about 10am on Dec 20 last year.

In mitigation, Katijah’s counsel, Amirul Imran Mohd Ali, said his client was repentant and urged that she be released on a good behaviour bond.

He said at the time of the incident, she was facing tremendous pressure as she had just delivered her eighth child.

"She was suffering from postnatal depression and the victim was naughty while she was cooking.

"She accidentally stabbed her son. "She did not mean to hurt him. "She only wanted to teach him to behave." Amirul Imran said Katijah’s husband was a storekeeper, who earned RM1,300 monthly, of which RM400 went towards the house rent.

"Imposing a custodial sentence would not serve any useful purpose as her children need to be looked after. She is undergoing traditional treatment for her postnatal depression in Beranang, Selangor." Prosecuting officer Chief Inspector R. Rukumar had applied for a custodial sentence as the boy could have died.