Outrage as child minder who choked baby to death with green chilli gets only 18-month jail

PETALING JAYA: People have taken to social media to voice their disbelief and outrage over the 18 months’ jail meted out to a babysitter who shoved a green chilli into the mouth of a toddler under her care until he choked to death.

Many of them pointed out that many lesser offences had seen heavier punishments.

“The value of the life of the child for 18 months jail????!!!! The pa­­rents will suffer emotionally for the rest of their life! And that murderer will only be jailed for 18 months?” said Kreesha Kate Caronan.

Facebook user Jason Lim said others got jailed more than 18 months for “even stealing a couple of coconuts”.

“It should be 18 months jail and 10 years community service. At least, this will give her the chance to redeem herself by giving something useful back to society,” he wrote.

“Just 18 months for taking a child’s life.. Seems so unfair,” said Hargeet Dhillion.

However, there are others who wondered why the woman had resorted to shoving the chilli into the boy’s mouth.

“So sad, how could she? What on earth made her shove the green chillies into the toddler’s mouth? He was sick, sick babies whimper and whine ... is normal. All he wanted was comfort,” pointed out Welly Chua.

“Why on earth would u shove a chilli in a child’s mouth?” wrote Ken Robert.

In the case, two-and-a-half-year-old Muhammad Afif Kamarol Azli had been ill on the morning of June 13 and did not stop whimpering despite being pacified by the accused, Asmarani Ghazali.

She then took out a green chilli from the refrigerator, broke it into half and put it into the boy’s mouth to make him stop.

Asmarani, who had been looking after Muhammad Afif for two years, had initially pleaded not guilty when charged with murder under Section 302 of the Penal Code. The mother of three was then slapped with an alternative charge under Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act, read together with Section 31(5)(b), which provides a jail term of up to 20 years or a fine of up to RM50,000 upon conviction.

She pleaded guilty to the charge after it was read to her before High Court judge Datuk Abu Bakar Jais in Seremban.