Swedish child abuse trial: Intense final day

STOCKHOLM: It was an intense last day of trial for the Malaysian couple accused of abusing their kids in Sweden, with both parties tearing into each other's closing arguments.

Prosecutor Anna Arnell submitted that Azizul Raheem Awalluddin's credibility was weakened as he changed his statement mid-trial.

She pointed out that Azizul had admitted during a police interview to beating his children about three to five months ago, but suddenly claimed during trial that he had not beaten them since the family was in South Africa four years ago.

Azizul and his wife Shalwati Norshal were facing their 11th and final day of trial before the Solna District court over accusations that they hit their children.

Arnell said Shalwati admitted to beating Ammar and Adam once in isolated incidents, but claimed her all other charges were resultant from her kids' lies and exaggeration.

"I find it disturbing how parents could say their own child is lying. It is too far fetched, considering Ammar maintained his story to his friends, the school counsellor and during multiple police interviews," submitted Arnell in her closing arguments.

She admitted a few weaknesses in the interviews, saying the interviewer had ask several leading questions.

"Another negative might be that the interviews are very long. But that's up to interpretation, as it was conducted over a month and gleaned a lot of information," said Arnell.

She urged the court to hand down prison sentences, in the range of two-and-a half-years for Shalwati and about two for Azizul.

Shalwati's counsel Kristofer Stahre argued that Ammar had been considering revenge against his parents, quoting the teenager's friend John Webb who testified that Ammar was hateful towards his parents.

"It is naive to think a person who wants revenge could give an objective testimony," said Stahre.

Azizul's lawyer Jonas Tamm questioned the vague time-frame of the charges, saying it only clearly stated the "who" and "what", but not "when".

He said that with the issue of uncertainty, the case would lean heavily on the supporting evidence, but instead had the children's testimony to depend on.

Tamm said factors that weakened the prosecution's case include; the leading questions asked by the police, inconsistent evidence by the children, vague description of the offences, and a lack of substansial supportive evidence.

Azizul and Shalwati are expected to know their fate within two weeks, with a verdict to be issued by District Judge Mattias Möller.

Sweden has outlawed corporal punishment since 1979, meaning Shalwati and her husband Azizul Raheem Awalluddin face up to six years prison if found guilty of hitting their children.