2007 09: Toddler dies after parents deported to Philippines

The Star online. News. Nation. Thursday September 13, 2007

By RUBEN SARIO

KOTA KINABALU: A two-year-old toddler whose parents were deported to the Philippines has died of suspected physical abuse here.

Police in Penampang district have detained the boy's 50-year-old grandmother and 14-year-old cousin in connection with the incident.

Penampang police chief Deputy Supt Madang Usat said the boy identified only as Evin died at the Queen Elizabeth hospital here on Sept 5.

He said hospital officials alerted police soon after Evin's death at about 1.30pm on that day due to breathing difficulties and the case was initially classified as sudden death.

However, following a post mortem, police were told that the toddler had sustained internal injuries indicating that he had been physically abused.

DSP Madang said police detained Evin's grandmother, a holder of the IMM13 identification document for refugees, when she came to the hospital to claim the body on Sept 11.

He said Evin's cousin was detained at a restaurant along Jalan Tuaran at about 11pm on the same day. Both the grandmother and cousin were remanded under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder.

DSP Madang said the toddler had been staying with the grandmother and cousin at an apartment in Beverly Hills here since his parents’ deportation to the Philippines.

2007 06: Fishmonger denies abusing lover’s son

The Star online. News. Nation. Saturday June 23, 2007

KOTA KINABALU: A fishmonger was charged in a magistrate’s court here yesterday with the physical and emotional abuse of his lover’s four-year-old son.

When the charge was read out to him yesterday, Heryman Sapri, 25, said he had hit the boy but there was no intention to abuse him.

Magistrate Amran Jantan took that as a plea of not guilty and fixed Sept 19 and 20 for trial.
Heryman is alleged to have assaulted the boy between May and June 15 at a house in Taman Seri Indah, Menggatal here.

Heryman, who was denied bail, faces jail of up to 10 years, RM20,000 fine or both.

Heryman and the boy’s 27-year-old mother were arrested on Friday when a police team rescued the boy, who was suffering from third degree burns.

2007 06: Man charged with abusing his lover's four-year-old son

The Star online. News. Nation. Friday June 22, 2007

KOTA KINABALU: A fishmonger was charged in the Magistrates Court here on Friday for the physical and emotional abuse of his lover's four-year-old son.

Heryman Sapri, 25, admitted that he had hit the boy but added he had no intention to hurt him as the charge against him was read out before Magistrate Amran Jantan who fixed Sept 19 and 20 for the court to hear the case.

"Saya akun pukul dia (mangsa) tetapi saya tiada niat mendera dia ( I admit I hit the boy but I had no intention to hurt him)," Henryman said.

His statement was considered as a not guilty plea by the court.

He is accused of abusing the boy from May to June 15, this year at a house in Taman Seri Indah, Menggatal here and was charged under Section 31(1) (a) of the Child Act 2001 that provides a maximum fine of RM20, 000 or 10 years jail or both if found guilty.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Syarifuddin Abdul Rasa asked the court not to grant bail for the accused while requesting the court for time to obtain the medical reports on the condition of the boy from the hospital.

Amran ordered Heryman to be remanded for a week under Section 249 of the Criminal Procedure Code Section 249.

Heryman and the boy's 27-year-old mother were arrested at around 11.20pm on Friday when a police team rescued the boy who was suffering from third degree burns.

However, on Wednesday, police released the mother to care for the boy who is recovering at the Children's Burns Unit at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital here.

Kota Kinabalu City police chief Asst Comm Ku Chin Wah when contacted yesterday said that they did not intend to take action against the mother but would leave it to the Welfare
Department to decide if she was fit to care for the child.

Since the incident came to light, people from all walks of life turned up at the hospital to shower gifts of food, clothing and toys for the boy.

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Abused four-year-old boy getting plenty of love now
The Star online. News. Nation. Friday June 22, 2007

KOTA KINABALU: The four-year-old abused boy who was rescued on Saturday is receiving love and attention from people from all walks of life.

Since learning of his plight, locals and members of non-government organisations have come bearing gifts, clothes and toys to the Children’s Burns Unit of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Yahya Hussin, who is state Community Development and Consumers Affairs Minister, said his officers were looking into the living conditions of the boy's family to see if immediate welfare aid could be provided for them.

The boy was found “shivering and crying” in the living room of their Taman Seri Indah Menggatal home here.

Police arrested his 27-year-old mother and her 25-year-old lover, a self employed local.

The mother has been released on police bail so she can care for the boy.

Yahya told The Star yesterday that any long term plans for the boy would depend on the outcome of the court case.

“If the court finds the mother guilty in abetting the abuse of the boy or that she is incapable of caring for the child and orders the boy to be put under welfare care, then we will do the necessary,” Yahya added.

The boy, whose father is the woman's former lover, is reported to be suffering from burns on his legs and cuts on his face and body.

This is first case of abuse being investigated under the Child Abuse Act 2001 in Sabah.

2007 06: Mother on bail to look after abused toddler, lover remains in jail

The Star online. News. Nation. Wednesday June 20, 2007

KOTA KINABALU: A mother has been released on police bail to look after her abused four-year-old son while her lover remains in custody.

Kota Kinabalu City police chief Asst Comm Ku Chin Wah said that they decided to release the 27-year-old mother on Wednesday after considering the condition of the child, who has been hospitalised with third degree burns since he was rescued by police on Saturday.

“The boy has been crying for his mother. We decided to let her care for the boy though we are still investigating to see if she was directly or indirectly involved in abusing the boy,” he said.

Ku said that police investigations indicated that the boy had been abused several time over a period of time and the abuse included tying him up and pouring hot water that caused severe scalding apart from other burns.

“The doctors treating the boy have told us that it would take some time for the boy to recover as some of his muscles have been affected by the scalding,” he said.

Ku said police believe that they have sufficient evidence to take up charges against the mother’s lover, a 25-year-old self employed man, who was detained together with the mother when police raided a house here on Saturday.

A police team found the badly injured boy “shivering and crying” on the floor of the living room during the raid that came after neighbours informed police on hearing the boy’s screams.

Ku said the couple mainly told police that they punished the boy because he was naughty.

The boy was conceived by the mother from an earlier relationship with another man and has for few years been living together with her lover.

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Mum released to look after abused boy
The Star online. News. Nation. Thursday June 21, 2007

KOTA KINABALU: A mother has been released on police bail to look after her abused four-year-old son while her lover remains in custody.

City police chief Asst Comm Ku Chin Wah said the 27-year-old mother was released yesterday after the child – who has been hospitalised with third degree burns – was rescued last Saturday.

“The boy has been crying for his mother.

“We have decided to let her care for the boy, although we are still investigating if she is directly or indirectly involved in abusing the boy,” he said.

The child was said to have been tied up and hot water poured over his head, causing severe scalding and burns on his body.

Doctors said it would take some time for him to recover.

2007 06: Too traumatised to go to school

The Star online. News. Nation. Monday June 18, 2007

JOHOR BARU: An eight-year-old girl who was allegedly hit by a teacher is so traumatised that she refuses to go to school.

SJK (T) Yahya Awal Year Two pupil S. Kavitaanjali has minor bruises on her back after she was allegedly beaten with a broom stick and a piece of metal.

Kavitaanjali's mother, V. Thanaletchumi, 29, claimed that her daughter is also suffering from hearing problems.

“If we force her to eat, she just throws up after the meal,” she said.

Thanaletchumi claimed that her daughter’s problem started in April when the teacher took over from another to teach Tamil.

She said the teacher started abusing some of the children.

She claimed that she approached the teacher recently who at first denied hitting her daughter but later admitted to it.

Her husband, clerk N. Sagaran, 40, said that they had brought the matter up to the school authorities and also lodged a report with the police and the Education Ministry.

“When our daughter first told us that she was hit in school, we ignored her because we thought she had misbehaved or not paid attention during lessons,” he said, adding that they got worried when she started developing a fever and refused to go to school.

When contacted, school principal M. Perumal said a verbal warning had been issued to the teacher concerned.

He said the teacher had 17 years teaching experience and was transferred to the school last year.

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Teacher gets show-cause letter over abuse of pupils
The Star online. News. Nation. Wednesday June 20, 2007

By MEERA VIJAYAN

JOHOR BARU: The Education Department here has issued a show-cause letter to a teacher who had allegedly abused her pupils.

The Tamil primary school teacher has also been ordered to go for counselling.

The parents of a young girl recently told the The Star that their daughter had been pinched, slapped and beaten with a broom and a metal rod since April until she became too traumatised to go to school.

SJK(T) Yahya Awal headmaster M. Perumal said he knew of five to six pupils who had been beaten by the teacher.

Johor Education director Mokhy Saidon said his department had spoken to the headmaster.

“It is possible that the teacher is under stress because of family problems,” said Mokhy.

He said the teacher would be given counselling, adding that an officer from the department would be sent to speak to her.

Asked if the teacher, who has been in the profession for 17 years, would be suspended, Mokhy said: “Suspension and facing a disciplinary board will be the last resort if she continues to repeat her behaviour.”

He advised teachers under stress to get religious help or to speak to their peers or even to him to release tension “without taking it out on the pupils.”

Meanwhile, Kavitaanjali’s mother said the teacher, although on leave yesterday, had come to school and shouted at her daughter because the case had been highlighted in the media.

2007 05: Used-car dealer jailed 56 months for son’s death

The Star online. News. Courts. Saturday May 19, 2007

SHAH ALAM: A used-car dealer had a smile on his face when the High Court here sentenced him to 56 months in jail for causing the death of his one-year-old son.

Ng Sooi Chai, 41, clad in a dark blue shirt and dark coloured trousers, appeared calm after the sentence was passed.

He had pleaded guilty to an amended charge last week for culpable homicide not amounting to murder of Teo Yeo, the younger of his two children.

The offence carries the maximum sentence of 10 years' jail and a fine.

In delivering his judgment, Judicial Commissioner Abang Iskandar Abang Hashim said it was a tragic case and hoped Ng would repent.

Ng was first charged on May 13, 2005 in a magistrate’s court in Petaling Jaya with killing his son under Section 302 of the Penal Code, which carries the mandatory death sentence.

In the statement of facts, Ng had slapped his son and pulled both his ears for urinating in the house.

He caned the boy two days later for similar reason.

Later, on May 1, 2005, Ng’s wife Chew Chean Wah saw him giving CPR to their son, who was lying unconscious on a bed, at 2.30pm.

They took their son to the University Malaya Medical Centre later where bruises on Teo Yeo's body and bleeding on his brain were discovered, and he was admitted to the paediatric ward.
Chew lodged a police report following the incident.

Teo Yeo died two days later. The post-mortem result showed the baby had a serious head injury due to impact with a blunt object or surface.

Ng admitted he had hit his son with his hand and a cane because his son always urinated and defecated in the house.

2007 05: ‘Teacher assaulted me for talking in class’

NST online. Local News. 18/05/07

PENDANG: A Form Three student claims he was assaulted by a teacher yesterday.

The 15-year-old said the teacher punched him in the face and kicked him in the buttocks in the incident about 9.30am. He said the teacher locked him in an office for several hours until 12.30pm.

"About 30 students witnessed the assault in the classroom," he said outside the Alor Star Hospital, where he received outpatient treatment for bruises and a sore left eye.

The boy said the teacher lost his temper when he caught him talking to a classmate."I know he is very strict and serious in class, but I didn’t expect him to beat me up for talking to a girl." He said after the teacher punched him, he was taken to an unoccupied office and given some ice cubes to reduce the swelling in his left eye.

"He also locked the room so that nobody could see what I was doing inside," he said.

The boy’s mother, from Kampung Wat in Padang Pusing, said the teacher overreacted.

"He may have committed an offence by talking to another student during class, but the punishment was unjustified. "How can a teacher assault a student for such a minor offence?"

The 45-year-old housewife has lodged a police report.

2007 05: Murid cedera di muka disyaki mangsa dera

Berita Harian online. Nasional. 14/05/07

ALOR STAR: Seorang murid Tahun Enam cedera di muka dan beberapa bahagian badan, dipercayai menjadi mangsa penderaan ahli keluarganya sejak lima bulan lalu.

Izzudin Syah Mohd Norul Sani, 12, mendakwa sering dipukul dan pernah dibiarkan tidak makan beberapa hari kerana mahu pulang semula ke pangkuan datuk dan neneknya di Felda Lubuk Merbau, Kuala Nerang.

Izzudin tinggal dengan ibu kandungnya sejak dibawa tinggal di Langkawi pada November tahun lalu, sebelum mereka berpindah ke Butterworth tidak lama kemudian.

Mangsa yang ditemani datuknya, Abdul Karim Arshad, 79, turut mendakwa sering dipukul menggunakan penyangkut pakaian, selain dijentik dahinya, jika tidak patuh arahan.

Abdul Karim berkata, cucunya tinggal bersama beliau dan isteri sejak berusia sebulan apabila anak lelaki dan bekas menantunya mengambil keputusan untuk bercerai.

"Pada November lalu, bekas menantu saya datang ke rumah untuk mengambil Izzudin dan berjanji memulangkannya selepas cuti sekolah tetapi dia tidak berbuat demikian.

"Sepanjang tempoh lima bulan itu, saya cuba menghubungi bekas menantu saya melalui telefon bimbit tetapi telefon bimbit itu dimatikan," katanya.

Beliau dan isterinya, Saadiah Md Salleh, 63, bagaimanapun terkejut apabila Izzudin tiba-tiba menghubungi mereka, Ahad lalu dan mengatakan dia dalam perjalanan pulang ke Alor Star.

"Saya hampir menangis apabila melihat Izzudin yang baru saja turun dari bas kira-kira jam 3.40 petang di Stesen Bas Shahab Perdana terus meluru mendapatkan kami berdua," katanya.

Abdul Karim berkata, beliau dan isteri terkejut apabila mendapati terdapat kesan lebam di tangan dan muka Izzudin sehingga menyebabkan mereka mengesyaki cucunya menjadi mangsa penderaan.

Berikutan itu, beliau menghantar mangsa ke Hospital Kuala Nerang untuk pemeriksaan, sebelum membuat laporan di Ibu Pejabat Polis Daerah Padang Terap.

Sementara itu, Ketua Polis Daerah Padang Terap, Deputi Superintendan Mohd Hamzan Darus, mengesahkan menerima laporan, tetapi belum ada tangkapan dibuat.

2007 04: Abused as a child

The Star Online. Lifestyle. Focus. Monday April 9, 2007

By JF

A husband shares his wife’s experiences of child abuse.

JEN was dragged into the room by her mother. Her tiny frame was filled with dreadful anticipation of the beating she would soon receive. She knew it would be a violent one, simply because her father was in the room her mother was dragging her into. She tried in vain to pull away.

In mad moments like this, her mother seemed to develop supernatural strength. Jen’s father was sitting on the bed, reading newspapers.

“How many times have I told you not to play with dolls? Why don’t you listen to me?” She slapped Jen across her face. “Teach you not to be so stubborn,” she shouted at the frightened little girl, before she started shaking her.

“If I knew you would drive me crazy, I’d rather lay an egg. At least I could have a half-boiled egg for breakfast.” She kept hitting Jen.

“‘Where did you get the money to buy the doll? Didn’t I throw your doll away? Did you steal? You, you ... @#**##@ ... If you did, I’ll kill you!”

“No, I didn’t ... grand ... grandma ... bought it for me.” The words barely came out of her mouth as she gasped for air. “No more playing with dolls, you hear me!” She kicked Jen, sending her flying to the side of the bed.

Her mother flung her away from it and her head struck the wall. Jen didn’t get up. She sat on the floor, weeping quietly. She knew better than to draw attention to herself.

‘What are you waiting for? More beating?” She gave Jen a kick on her already bruised thigh.

Back in her room, Jen lay on her bed, looking up at the ceiling and thinking. “Grandma always tells me about God. God, did you see how my mother beat me? My father did nothing to stop her. Why do they hate me so much?”

Jen pictured herself in a coffin. All the people who attended her funeral were saying nice things about her. Her mother was crying like crazy. “I’m sorry, Jen ... I’m sorry.” Tears were rolling down her cheeks when she pictured how remorseful and apologetic her mother was. Her father was silently weeping at the side of her coffin. Every time the beating became severe and unbearable, she would picture the same scene over and over again until she fell asleep.

Whenever Jen’s father angered her mother, she would take it out on her. She was more violent and vicious then. Her father never stopped her, but seemed deaf to the cursing and shouting of his wife and blind to the pain of his traumatised daughter. Jen’s parents seemed to lead separate lives even though they lived under the same roof. Jen’s mother took to gambling when her husband was at work. Jen knew her mother had had a good day at the gambling table when she came home in a good mood and sometimes, bearing gifts. When she lost, she’d make Jen’s life miserable. Jen’s father disappeared during the weekends. During weeknights, he came home drunk.

By the time Jen was almost 16 years old, the beatings had stopped. She hardly spoke to her father, and vice versa. Her mother’s behaviour was dictated by her moods. When Jen started working, their relationship improved. Her first pay cheque saw to that. Each month, Jen made sure she set aside some money for her mother. Once, Jen promised her mother part of her bonus so that she could join a package tour to Europe. After that, Jen’s mother was cordial, almost to the point of caring. But all this changed when Jen was two days’ late in giving her the money. When Jen came home from work that day, her mother ignored her greeting. “I’m not lucky like Mrs So-and-So whose daughter always takes her to high-class hotels for meals,” her mother sighed. “I would be lucky if my mother were as sweet as Mrs So-and-So.” Jen couldn’t help thinking. However, she knew it would turn the complaint into a dragging melodramatic scene if she’d dared to voice her thought.

“I don’t know how some people have the cheek to make empty promises. Their parents must be cursed to have children like that. Ungrateful children, only know how to take and take.”

Something inside Jen snapped when she heard the word “ungrateful”. She forgot how much her mother terrified her. “You have never cared for me and now what you care about is money. Have you ever cared if I’m happy or not? Money, money, money ... that’s all you care about. What about me? Do you remember that I’m your daughter? Have you ever treated me as one?”

Jen’s eyes welled with tears as she spoke emotionally. Jen’s mother got up from her chair and, without a word, went to her room. Shortly after, she came out with her handbag and headed for the front door. Without a backward glance, she slammed the door and left. She was gone the longest time. Past midnight, and she was still not home. Jen worried about her mother. Several times, she waited at the gate. Jen’s imagination started to run wild. She could picture the next morning’s newspaper headline: “Woman jumps from seventh floor of hotel.” She was getting more frightened by the minute. It was her fault, Jen thought. If only she had not confronted her mother. She should know that her mother would never understand that all she wanted from her was a little love. When her mother came home shortly after 2am, Jen felt relieved. She waited another hour before she went to check the shoe rack. Yes, her mother’s favourite pair of heels were there. When she received her bonus, Jen rushed home to give it to her mother who took the money without a word.

Fast forward 30 years. Jen’s father was dying in the hospital. He had been diagnosed with throat cancer. Jen remembered she flew home and went straight to the hospital. She was shocked when she saw how frail her father had become. Her father’s eyes lit up and a smile of welcome played on his very pale, sallow face when he caught sight of Jen. She thought this was the first time he showed some emotion. This was the man who had never acknowledged or thanked her for the birthday presents she’d saved up to buy. This was also the same man who almost broke his silence when he had alcohol in his system. One night, in his drunken state, he had attempted to offer an explanation. “You kno-ow-w, w-what your mother is cap-aa-ble of ... t-that’s why I ... didn’t st-stop ?,” he said. Before she could react, her mother’s sharp hearing brought her out like a crazed animal. She backed him up against the wall, to shut him up. “Oh, you are so-o-o-o perfect, so-o-o-o blameless. Most of my problems are thanks to you.” Her tone was sharp and cutting. “Don’t make me knock you down, you @@#$%%&&$ drunk,” she threatened. “I can’t outta-a-lkk her?,” he said, as he put his hands up in surrender and walked tipsily to his room.

During his one-week stay in the hospital Jen had a lot of “firsts” with him. It was the first time she saw him up-close. It was the first time she touched him as she gently massaged his shoulders. She was so nervous. Her father had been such a remote figure to her. He’d never been her protector, never soothed her when she was hurt, never been there for her when she needed him. It was the first time she tried to feed him. She could feel her hands tremble. Throat cancer took away his ability to talk.

Jen knew he was in pain most of the time. To his wife, he was a burden. She considered their union a misery. Jen’s father died in silence – exactly a week after he returned home from the hospital. She would like to think that his indifference towards her was born of love. Had he spoken up, or attempted to rescue and protect her, her mother would have been more brutal. However, Jen felt she had unfinished business with her father. When he had the chance to speak, he didn’t; and when he wanted to, he couldn’t. She would always remember the little bit of warmth they’d shared before his passing.

2007 04: Court told mother stabbed her child to discipline him

The Star online. News. Nation. Friday April 20, 2007

By CECIL FUNG

KUALA LUMPUR: A mother of eight stabbed her eight-year-old son with a knife in order to discipline him.

On Friday, a magistrate’s court here let off Katijah Kassim, 38, with a three-year good behaviour bond after convicting her for committing assault.

The housewife, whose youngest child is eight-months-old, was suffering from post-natal depression at the time of the offence.

Apart from the RM3,000 non-secured bond, magistrate Aizatul Akmal Maharani also ordered her to pay a prosecution fee of RM500 after she pleaded guilty to the charge.

The magistrate, however, warned her that he would review her case if she were to breach the bond.

“Look after your children well. If you breach the bond, I will not hesitate to recall your case and impose a heavier sentence later,” said the magistrate.

Katijah had, in a twist of fate, slipped and fell, breaking both her legs and fracturing her spine weeks after the incident.

She had to be carried into the dock by her storekeeper husband before she admitted to stabbing their son Muhammad Hafizat, whom she claimed was too naughty, at their flats in Kuchai Entrepreneurs Park around 10am on Dec 20 last year.

The court was told of how her eldest son Mohd Hamdan, who was sleeping in the living room at the time, had heard his younger brother’s screams from the bedroom.

Mohd Hamdan, 14, rushed into the room to find his mother stabbing Muhammad Hafizat on his back with a knife.

He immediately grabbed the knife from Katijah and threw it into the kitchen sink before carrying his wounded brother to his grandmother’s unit at another block for help.

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Second chance for mum who stabbed son
The Star online. News. Courts. Saturday April 21, 2007

KUALA LUMPUR: A mother of eight stabbed her eight-year-old son with a knife in order to discipline him.

Yesterday, a magistrate’s court here let off Katijah Kassim, 38, with a three-year good behaviour bond after convicting her for committing assault.

The housewife, whose youngest child is eight-months-old, was suffering from post-natal depression at the time of the offence.

Apart from the RM3,000 non-secured bond, magistrate Aizatul Akmal Maharani also ordered her to pay a prosecution fee of RM500 after she pleaded guilty to the charge.

The magistrate, however, warned her that he would review her case if she were to breach the bond.

“Look after your children well. If you breach the bond, I will not hesitate to recall your case and impose a heavier sentence later,” said the magistrate.

Katijah had, in a twist of fate, slipped and fell, breaking both her legs and fracturing her spine weeks after the incident.

She had to be carried into the dock by her storekeeper husband before she admitted to stabbing their son Muhammad Hafizat, whom she claimed was too naughty, at their flat in Kuchai Entrepreneurs Park around 10am on Dec 20 last year.

The court was told of how her eldest son Mohd Hamdan, who was sleeping in the living room at the time, had heard his younger brother’s screams from the bedroom.

Mohd Hamdan, 14, rushed into the room to find his mother stabbing Muhammad Hafizat on his back with a knife.

He immediately grabbed the knife from Katijah and threw it into the kitchen sink before carrying his wounded brother to his grandmother’s unit at another block.

Muhammad Hafizat had injuries on his chest and back as well as his lungs.

2007 04: Stepsister ties girl to fridge

NST online. Local News. 20/4/07

GEORGE TOWN: A young girl was found bound to a refrigerator at an apartment in Lorong Perak on Wednesday night but police say she is not a victim of abuse.

The three-year-old girl was tied up by her stepsister to prevent her from climbing the window grilles, said district police chief Assistant Commissioner Azam Abdul Hamid

"The girl is a hyperactive child and her stepsister and mother decided to tie her up as they wanted to go to the clinic. We have recorded their statements following the incident."

He added that although there were bruises on the child’s legs, police had concluded that it was not a case of child abuse.

Azam said the child had since been discharged from the Penang Hospital where she was warded for observation.

Several residents alerted by the girl’s cries, were shocked to find her tied to the refrigerator when they peeped into the unit through one of the windows.

They then called the Civil Defence Department who arrived at the scene at 8.20pm.

Team members had to knock down the locked door before rescuing the child.

Azam said the child had been staying with the family for the past three months.

The three-year-old girl was found bound to a refrigerator at an apartment in Lorong Perak on Wednesday.

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Check-up confirms rescued girl a victim of child abuse

The Star online. News. Nation. Saturday April 21, 2007

By BERNARD SEE

PENANG: A three-year-old girl, found bruised and tied atop a refrigerator at a flat in Perak Lane here, was a child-abuse victim.

A medical check-up showed fresh bruises and old scars caused by canings all over the child, who was rescued by the Civil Defence Department on Wednesday night.

Sources said the abuse had been going on for over a year and her twice-divorced mother's boyfriend, in his 20s, was the main suspect.

The 44-year-old mother and seven others have been questioned in connection with the case, which has been classified as abuse.

“The main suspect, a (night market) trader, will be picked up soon to assist in investigations,” a source said.

The young girl has been admitted to the Penang Hospital’s paediatric ward for observation.
She is now under the care of the state Welfare Department.

A concerned neighbour had called the Civil Defence Department after hearing the girl crying non-stop for more than 10 minutes at the seventh-floor flat.

She was tied atop the 1.5m refrigerator with a nylon string. The door of the flat door had to be kicked open in order to reach her.

The mother and the boyfriend had gone out and left her alone.

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3-year-old tied to fridge may have been abused

NST online. Local News. 21/04/07

GEORGE TOWN: New questions have been raised about the three-year-old girl found tied to a refrigerator on Wednesday .

A medical check determined that the girl could have been abused.

During the check-up at Penang Hospital, doctors found bruises on the little girl’s body which were caused by caning.

Since then, police have recorded statements from eight people, including the toddler’s 44-year-old mother, her 14-year-old step-sister, and neighbours in their Lorong Perak apartment building. Police are also looking for the mother’s boyfriend, a night market trader in his 20s. No-one has been arrested so far.

The girl is still under observation at Penang Hospital.

State Welfare Department director Mahfudz Omardi said the department will conduct its own investigation once police have completed theirs.

"According to procedure, the victim will remain in the department’s care once we receive a court order. Our investigation will centre on whether the family is able to care for her or otherwise," he said.

Neighbours heard the cries of the little girl and were shocked to find her tied to the refrigerator when they peeped into the unit through a window.

The neighbours then made a distress call to the Civil Defence Department who arrived at the scene at 8.20pm and knocked down the front door to rescue the child.

2007 03: Three-year-old boy dies of suspected child abuse

The Sun online. Local news. Fri, 09 Mar 2007

SUNGAI PETANI (March 9, 2007): A three-year-old boy believed to be a victim of child abuse, died in the Sultan Abdul Halim Hospital here today.

Syahimi A. Saleem died at 7.30am shortly after he was brought to the hospital.

Kuala Muda police chief ACP Hashim Ali said Syahimi had injuries on his head, several parts of his body were bruised and swollen and also burnt marks believed to be caused by lighted cigarette butts.

A post-mortem conducted by Alor Star Hospital pathologist Dr Suhani Mat Noor found the boy’s spine and some internal organs damaged, Hashim said when contacted today, reports Bernama.

He said Syahimi was brought to the hospital by his 32-year-old father and his 34-year-old girlfriend after finding the child to be not breathing when woken up at 7am.

The duo and another woman, aged 29, who is the younger sister of the father’s girlfriend, were detained to assist in investigations.

Hashim said the boy’s parents divorced some years back and that he and his elder sister, four, had come from Ipoh where they are curently living with their father, to visit his girlfriend who lives in Bedong, a week ago.

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Suspected child abuse victims warded
The Star online. News. Nation. Monday March 12, 2007

SUNGAI PETANI: Three young children have been admitted to the Sultan Abdul Halim Hospital here after police detected signs of possible child abuse.

All three lived in the same house as Syahimi A. Saleem, three, who died of head injuries on Friday. One of them was Syahimi’s four-year-old sister who was found with bruises on her body.

The two other children, a five-month-old infant and a two-year-old, were running a fever. They are the daughters of his father’s live-in lover.

All four children lived at the girlfriend’s house in Taman Permai Bestari.

Police have obtained a court order to detain a 32-year-old contract worker and his 34-year-old girlfriend until March 19.

2007 01: Boy, 11, warded with serious head injuries

The Star online. News. North. Sunday January 28, 2007

SUNGAI PETANI: An 11-year-old boy whose fascination for the Internet kept him at the cyber cafe, ended up in hospital with serious head injuries after he was beaten up by his father in Tikam Batu.

The father, a petty trader, turned violent as he claimed his son’s stu-dies had deteriorated because of his obsession with the Internet.

A police spokesman said the suspect had allegedly flung, punched, slapped and kicked his son before flinging him up into the air at their home in Taman Setia Budi in Tikam Batu, about 15km from here, between 7pm and 8pm on Friday.

The boy ran away from home and sought refuge at a surau in Kampung Haji Ahmad nearby during the Maghrib prayers where some villagers found him.

The police spokesman said police from Tikam Batu were informed and went to pick up the boy from the surau.

Police from Tikam Batu police station lodged a report on the boy’s behalf and handed him over to the Kuala Muda district police Domestic Violence and Child Abuse police unit.

The spokesman said the boy had been warded at Sultan Abdul Halim Hospital here and would be sent to the Kuala Muda Welfare Depart-ment pending investigations.

Police have obtained a remand order on the suspect.

2006 12: Suspected child abuse

The Star online. News. North. Wednesday December 20, 2006

ALOR STAR: An 11-year-old boy suffered bruises believed to have been inflicted by his foster father on several parts of his body at their home at Persiaran Sultan Abdul Hamid, here.

The incident occurred at about 8.30pm on Monday after the boy used the telephone without permission.

It is learnt that his foster father beat him with a plastic chair and a belt.

The boy was sent to the Alor Star Hospital at about 10pm by a relative. He was reported to be in stable condition.

A police spokesman said they received a report at 5.40am yesterday.

Police have yet to call the foster father to give his statement.

2006 10: Blow the whistle on abusers

The Star online. News. Nation. Thursday October 26, 2006

Child protection laws are in place and many parties are working hard to curb child abuse. However, Welfare Department figures show that 1,577 cases of child abuse were recorded in 2004 compared with 1,390 in 2003, 821 in 2002 and 1,036 in 2001.

NIKI CHEONG, YAM PHUI YEE and NASA MARIA ENTABAN report.

COLLEGE student Lillian* is confident, poised and feisty. When she talks, she looks you in the eye and gives thought to her answers before speaking.

However, nuances separate her from her peers.

While most youngsters talk fondly about their parents, she does not. You can see that this is not a comfortable subject for the 18-year-old.

Her mother left when she was four. She and her younger sister were left in the care of a babysitter their father had hired.

When she was 11, their father took them back to stay with him in a rented room in Klang Valley.
The beatings started soon after.

“Sometimes, my father is a good but when he is in a bad mood, he would hit me because he did not like it when I talked back,” she said.

Her younger sister, then seven, was spared the beatings because she was more docile.

Once, Lillian recalled, her father hit her with a hanger in front of the housemates, which she found humiliating.

On another occasion, he used a belt on her over a refusal to join him for supper. The bruises on her legs were so telling that a relative felt compelled to make a police report.

The father was detained for a day but released later. She did not see him when he was released because relatives had bundled her off to a shelter home, where she stayed for a year before an uncle and aunt took her in.

“They did not have any children, so they treated me like their own,” she said.

As for the father, he admits to hitting Lillian.

“Yes, I had beaten her. She was a stubborn child who would retort whenever I scold her,” said Lawrence*.

According to him, he had to work very hard to support his children. Jobs did not come by easily and he turned to selling pirated VCDs. He lived on the edge daily, fearful of getting nabbed.

“When business was slow, I resorted to being hired for gang fights – as long as people paid me.”
With so much frustration “out there”, Lawrence said, he simply could not stomach coming home to rebellion from his own daughter.

“That is why, when she was naughty, I would discipline her. I only bruised her a little but she calls it abuse. So what can I do? I was arrested for something many parents do.”

Lawrence and Lillian’s story is not unique. A five-year study by the United Nations, initiated in 2001, found similar situations around the world.

The report on the study, United Nations Secretary-General’s Study on Violence Against Children, was launched in Kuala Lumpur during the Unicef forum entitled “Cherish Our Children – Stop The Violence Now!” last week.

It reveals that in every region, “much violence against children remains legal, state-authorised and socially approved”.

So what can society do to ensure the safety of children?

Many believe that the laws to protect a child are already in place in Malaysia through the Child Act 2001.

“Our laws are quite comprehensive. We have strict penalties that are sufficient,” Malaysian Association for the Protection of Children (MAPC) vice-president Dr Farah Nini Dusuki said.

However, Shelter executive chairman James Nayagam, who has seen the pain of thousands of abused children, believes much can still be done.

He called on teachers to be more alert in identifying possible cases of abuse.“Research shows that 85% of abuse is made known in the classroom such as when a child confides in a friend,” he said.

“Teachers should be able to detect mood changes and signs that the child is in trouble.”

While society may frown on those who are nosy, Health Ministry family health development division director Datuk Dr Narimah Awin says Malaysia should develop the culture of whistle-blowing as a preventive measure to curb child abuse.

“We must have a culture where we are not afraid to speak out,” she said.

Dr Farah also thinks that it is time to “mobilise religion more”, saying that religious teachers can be another “powerful force” in this crusade.

“They have the moral authority to promote values,” she said at the Unicef forum.

There are those who feel that Malaysia has come a long way.

“Things are going in the right direction. Many parties are now moving along at various levels and this has never been done before.

“Most hospitals now have SCAN (suspected child abuse and neglect) teams and the police have child protection units,” observed Dr Farah.

Meanwhile, young Lillian is about to complete her studies in hospitality and management.

For her, help mercifully came when she needed it most. The wounds may have healed but the scars remain.

* Names have been changed to protect the child’s identity.

PAINFUL CHILDHOOD: Abused children like her need the participation of all in society to help stop this menace.

2006 12: Children's Court orders 3-year old returned to parents

The Star online. Nation. Friday December 15, 2006

KUCHING: The Children’s Court here ordered a three-year-old girl, an alleged victim of child abuse, to be returned to her natural parents, turning down an application by lawyer-cum-politician Dominic Ng for custody.

Magistrate Maris Agan made the ruling after hearing the recommendations of a Welfare Department protection officer.

The child will be returned to her natural parents on the conditions that the parents enter a bond of RM5,000 each and bring the child to interactive workshops organised by the department.

The bond and workshop attendance must continue until the child is in Primary One.

In addition, the protection officer is to ensure the child’s safety through regular visits and supervision.

Agan said the court was of the view that because the child’s parents had not been charged for any criminal offence, it would be prejudicial to take custody away from them.

"The best interest of the child is not measured by physical comfort alone."

“Although Ng has a good record and is prepared to take care of the child as his own, it is still in the best interest of the child to live with her parents.

“There must be criminal proceedings under the Penal Code against the parents to deprive them of their right,” he said.

He added that it would be good for the child to receive care and attention from her natural parents.

Ng, the Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) assemblyman for Padungan, had applied for custody of the girl under Section 30(1)(a) of the Child Act after her mother and grandmother allegedly abused her.

The girl, who had bruises on her body, was taken to the Sarawak General Hospital here on Oct 9 by police acting on a public tip off.

She was then handed over to the Welfare Department and placed at the Children’s Home in Sri Aman.

Girl goes back to the care of her parents
The Star online. News. Courts. Saturday December 16, 2006

KUCHING: The Children’s Court here ordered a three-year-old girl, an alleged victim of child abuse, to be returned to her natural parents, turning down an application by lawyer-cum-politician Dominic Ng for custody.

Magistrate Maris Agan, made the ruling after hearing the recommendations of a Welfare Department protection officer.

The child will be returned to her natural parents on the conditions that the parents were to enter a bond of RM5,000 each and to bring the child to interactive workshops organised by the department.

The bond and workshop attendance must continue until the child is in Primary One.

Agan said the court was of the view that because the child’s parents had not been charged for any criminal offence, it would be prejudicial to take custody away from them.

“The best interest of the child is not measured by physical comfort alone,” he said.
Ng, the Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) assemblyman for Padungan, had applied for custody of the girl after she was taken to the Sarawak General Hospital here on Oct 9 by police acting on a public tip-off.