Mum and stepdad plead guilty to child abuse

JOHOR BARU: A woman and her husband pleaded guilty to abusing her four-year-old son, who died of the injuries.

The boy’s stepfather, S. Nagendran, 23, and his mother A. Sangeetha, 23, pleaded guilty at the Sessions Court here to a charge of abusing the boy to the extent of causing him physical injury last Friday.

They admitted committing the offence at Skudai Villa Apartment, Jalan Aman, Taman Skudai Baru here at around midnight on April 28.

They were charged under Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act 2011, read together with Section 34 of the Penal Code, which provides for a fine not exceeding RM50,000 or a maximum jail term of 20 years, or both, if convicted.

Judge Datuk Ahmad Kamal Ariffin Ismail set June 7 to hear the facts of the case before passing the sentence.

It was reported that a four-year-old boy died last Saturday.

Iskandar Puteri Police chief Asst Comm Rahmat Ariffin was quoted as saying that the child was rushed to the Sultanah Aminah Hospital on Saturday morning, but was pronounced dead upon arrival at the emergency department at 8.20am.