JOHOR BARU: A 35-year-old jobless woman is facing the gallows after she was charged at the Magistrate’s Court here with allegedly causing the death of her young son.
R. Kaleswary was emotionless when the charge was read out to her in front of magistrate Nurmadiana Mamat yesterday.
The statement of facts said Kaleswary had intentionally caused the death of the five-year-old boy between 9am and 12.20pm on Dec 3.
She allegedly committed the offence on the upper floor of a business building at Taman Sri Yaakub here.
No plea was recorded from the accused after she was charged under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder, which carries the mandatory death sentence upon conviction.
Nurmadiana then set Feb 15, 2022, for next mention and the submission of documents.
Meanwhile, in the Sessions Court, Kaleswary and her gas delivery boyfriend, Muhammad Iskandar Abdullah, 32, were charged with physically abusing the boy between April and Dec 3 this year.
They were charged under Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act 2001, which carries a jail term of not more than 10 years’ imprisonment or a maximum fine of RM20,000 or both upon conviction.
Kaleswary pleaded guilty to the charge but Muhammad Iskandar claimed trial in front of Sessions Court judge Fatimah Zahari.
Fatimah postponed Kaleswary’s sentencing pending the results of a post-mortem on the child’s body.
She then set Jan 27, 2022, for the next mention and for Kaleswary’s sentencing.
Fatimah also granted bail of RM14,000 with one surety on Muhammad Iskandar and ordered him to report to the nearest police station once a month until the case is settled.
As at press time, Muhammad Iskandar had yet to post bail.
Deputy public prosecutors Khairunnisa Zainudin, M. Raveena and Chai Ing Hen prosecuted the cases while both accused were unrepresented.
Earlier this month, police arrested the couple after a report was lodged alleging that they had abused the victim, resulting in his death.
Iskandar Puteri OCPD Asst Comm Dzulkhairi Mukhtar said police were notified of the incident following a report lodged by a Hospital Sultanah Aminah medical officer at around 12.20pm on Dec 3.
“The five-year-old boy was already dead when he was brought to the hospital.
“He had injuries on his mouth and swellings all over his body,” he said.
Police immediately arrested the victim’s mother at the hospital while the mother’s boyfriend was apprehended at the family’s rented house in Taman Nusa Bestari on the same day, he added.
ACP Dzulkhairi said initial investigations found that the victim had two other siblings – an eight-year-old sister and a two-year-old brother – living under the same roof.
“Police recovered a rubber pipe in the bathroom sink, a wooden stick and a bloodstained plastic pipe on the sofa at their home,” he said.
Checks on the two suspects revealed that this was not their first arrest for suspected child abuse, he added.
“Back in July this year, the couple was charged in court with abusing the eldest child.
“The two other children are now under the care of their grandmother,” he said.
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