Welfare Dept gets temporary custody of abused child

SUNGAI PETANI: A four-year-old girl who is believed to have been physically abused by a man close to her mother has been temporarily placed under the custody of the Social Welfare Department here.
The interim custody order issued by the magistrate's court under the Child Act 2001, is effective from today till Jan 25.
The victim, who had been receiving inpatient treatment at Sultan Abdul Halim Hospital, was discharged around 9am today and brought to the courthouse by a welfare department officer at 9.50am.
The victim's grandmother was also seen in court.
Meanwhile, Kedah social welfare director Md Noor Chik said the victim would be sheltered at a children's home in Jitra.
"The department has procedures to be followed where we will monitor all aspects including the victim's safety, and emotional and physical health.
"For now, the victim will be placed under the care of the department until she fully regains her health.
"If any of her family members wish to claim custody after expiry of the order given to the department, we will refer the matter to the court again," he told Bernama when contacted today.
Md Noor said the victim's grandmother had expressed interest in taking care of the child.
"The department has to study certain aspects like whether she is really prepared to do it and whether she can afford to," he said.
The victim was rescued from Flat Paya Nahu at 1.25am on Nov 24 following the recovery by police of the body of her two-year-old brother covered in a bedsheet inside a container. — Bernama