2007 07: She now faces jail term for abusing son

NST online. Local News. 6/7/07

By : Lydia Gomez

SHAH ALAM: She may have escaped the gallows for the murder of her son, but housewife Salina Abd Shukor will now face a jail term of up to 10 years for abusing the 3-year-old boy.

The 29-year-old housewife, who was charged with the murder of her son in 2004, was yesterday acquitted after the court ruled that the prosecution had failed to prove a prima facie case against her.

Judge Datuk Zaharah Ibrahim, however, found that there was a case against Salina for child abuse.

Salina pleaded guilty to the amended charge of physically abusing her son, Syakir Abd Aziz, at their squatter home in Kampung Pinggir, Lembah Jaya Selatan in Ampang Jaya between 5.30pm on April 4, 2004 and 5pm on April 7 the same year.

She will be sentenced on July 10.

At the courtroom yesterday, Salina appeared relieved with the turn of events.

Clad in a light blue headscarf and a beige baju kurung, Salina smiled and looked towards several family members in the public gallery.

She spoke to her counsel Hazlan Abd Hamid and Iszam Kamal Ismail before she was led out of the courtroom by a policewoman.

Throughout the trial, which began in May 2005, the prosecution had called 14 witnesses, among them Salina’s husband, taxi driver Abdul Aziz Abdul Rahman, her then 14-year-old stepson and the toddler’s babysitter.

Syakir was found dead on his bed in their home by his father, who had just returned home after work at 6.30pm on April 7.

Initially, Abdul Aziz was led to believe that his 14-year-old son from a previous marriage had kicked the toddler in his stomach while Salina was out shopping for groceries.

The teenager, who was taken to the Ampang Jaya police headquarters by his father, was later arrested to help in investigations.

The boy, who testified against Salina, later told the court that he admitted to killing his brother out of pity for his stepmother.

Police, however, gathered enough information to take Salina to court instead and she was charged with the murder.

Post-mortem results showed that the boy had died a slow and painful death, suffering multiple injuries caused by intoxication after his small intestines ruptured and the contents spilled out.

Deputy public prosecutor Salim Soib prosecuted.