JOHOR BARU: The police are tracking down the mother of a nine-month-old baby girl who was suspected to have died from abuse.
Johor Baru North OCPD Asst Comm Balveer Singh said that as at press time yesterday, no one has come forward to claim the body of the baby, who was pronounced dead last Friday.
“We are still looking for the baby’s mother, who is a Vietnamese, to assist in the investigation.
“The post-mortem examination on the victim revealed that there were elements of injuries that led to her death. The body has not been claimed from the Hospital Sultanah Aminah’s (HSA) forensics department,” he said in a statement yesterday.
ACP Balveer said police were alerted by a medical officer from HSA at around 6.55pm last Thursday as the infant was receiving treatment at the intensive care unit for injuries believed to be caused by abuse.
The baby was pronounced dead the following day at around 3.50am.
A team from the Johor Baru North district police headquarters arrested two foreign women and a Malaysian man, who is the boyfriend of one of the suspects, at around 10pm on April 25. A married couple was also arrested as they were the victim’s babysitters, ACP Balveer added.
“The remand order for the suspects, which ended yesterday, has been extended for another five days until May 5.
“Investigations also found that one of the suspects had sought early treatment for the baby at a clinic before she was sent to HSA,” he said, adding that one of the foreign women tested positive for drugs.
The case is being investigated under Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act for ill-treatment, neglect, abandonment or exposure of children.
Offenders can be punished with up to 20 years’ imprisonment, a maximum fine of RM50,000 or both, upon conviction.
