KOTA KINABALU: A married couple has pleaded guilty to causing hurt to two boys under their care.
The 27-year-old husband and 36-year-old wife pleaded guilty when the charges were read to them before Magistrate Flavian Edward Henry here on Tuesday (April 16).
The husband faces two charges of voluntarily causing hurt under Section 323 of the Penal Code while the wife faces two charges under Section 324 of the Penal Code for voluntarily causing hurt by a dangerous weapon or means, and one under Section 323.
Flavian set May 17 for next mention, pending the full medical report on the two victims.
The husband was offered RM2,500 bail for each charge while the wife's bail was set RM6,000 per charge for the Section 324 charges and RM4,000 for the other charge.
Both the accused, who were unrepresented, were unable to post bail.
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Keningau OCPD Supt Yampil Anak Garai had said earlier that the couple were arrested on April 5 after reports were lodged against them for allegedly abusing the boys, aged 13 and five.
Investigations found that the teenager is the woman’s stepson from her previous marriage, while the younger boy was adopted by the suspects after they married.
It was learnt that the boys were made to help the couple sell burgers door to door.
On April 2, a man at a snooker outlet noticed burn marks on the teenager and lodged a police report.
Supt Yampil said the teenager is believed to have been abused with a hot iron on his abdomen and back at least four times based on wounds present and beaten with wooden and iron rods for lying that he had sold all the burgers and coming home late.
He said the woman also allegedly poured hot water on the floor and ordered the younger boy to step on it, scalding his feet.
In another incident, he said she pressed a hot iron to the boy's arms for not changing his diaper immediately after waking up.
The abuse was believed to have taken place at the couple's rented home in Keningau between March 24 and 30.
Both suspects have drug-related offences on their records, Supt Yampil added.
The victims have been discharged from Hospital Keningau and referred to the Kota Kinabalu Children’s Home in Beringgis, Papar for the time being.
