BUKIT MERTAJAM: The couple who were arrested for abusing and inflicting injuries on an 11-year-old girl in an incident at the Ampang Jajar flat in Permatang Pauh, here, yesterday, were remanded for seven days to assist in investigation on the case.
Seberang Perai Tengah district police chief ACP Nik Ros Azhan Nik Abdul Hamid said the victim’s father and stepmother were remanded from today and the case is being investigated under Section 31 (1) (a) of the Child Act 2001.
“A urine test on the 36-year-old man who is also the victim’s father found him to be positive for methamphetamine while his wife, 38, was negative, but both had previous drug and criminal records.
“The woman who is a housewife has a previous record for theft while her husband, who works as a mechanic, has four criminal cases and four drug cases,“ he said, here today.
He said the girl was now warded at the pediatrics ward of the Seberang Jaya Hospital (HSJ) and further examinations would be conducted today by pediatricians including X-rays and CT scans.
Nik Ros Azhan said the victim was in a stable condition and so far she has cooperated better than yesterday as she was still in a state of trauma.
“According to investigations, so far, only the victim was beaten and abused by her stepmother using blunt objects such as helmets, wood and clothes hangers and did not involve her biological brother (he) or eight other step-siblings,“ he said.
The girl was rescued by a non-governmental organisation after it received information about the victim’s abuse from the flat’s residents. The victim, who is the elder of the two siblings, was found to have serious injuries to her body, arms and face making it difficult for her to open both eyes.
The victim has not been to school since living with her stepmother and biological father in the flat since last year. Their mother was in prison. - Bernama
