KUALA LUMPUR: The sessions court here today fined an Indonesian baby sitter RM12,000, in default six months’ jail, for slapping a six-month-old baby who was placed in her care.
Judge Rohatul Akmar Abdullah meted out the fine on Anisah Ahmad, 42, after the woman pleaded guilty to the charge.
She was charged under Section 31 (1)(a) of the Child Act with abusing the baby girl by slapping her on the cheeks at a house in Setapak Jaya Baru here between 8am and 3pm last Aug 27.
In mitigation, the woman, said she has six children to take care of, with four of them in Indonesia.
“I had slapped the girl unintentionally because I was stressed then. My husband has stage four cancer of the mouth. The girl was crying and I was in a hurry to give milk to my husband, who has to be fed through a tube.
“I also did not realise there was a slap mark on her face. Otherwise, I would have apologised to her mother earlier,” she said, adding that she agreed to baby sit the girl because she needed the money to support her own children.
Deputy public prosecutor Afiq Nazrin Zaharinan prosecuted, while Anisah was unrepresented. — Bernama
