Justice for Bella remains

KUALA LUMPUR: Rumah Bonda founder Siti Bainun Ahd Razali continues to serve her 12-year jail sentence for the neglect and abuse of Down Syndrome teenager Bella after she failed in her appeal at the High Court.

Justice Noorin Badaruddin dismissed the bid by Siti Bainun, who sought to set aside her conviction and sentence by the Sessions Court, in a decision here yesterday.

She also dismissed an application by Siti Bainun’s lawyer Haijan Omar for a stay of execution pending an appeal to the Court of Appeal.

In her judgment, Justice Noorin said the court was satisfied with the maximum evaluation of the Sessions Court judge on prosecution witnesses who had testified.

She said there were 18 injuries and scars on the victim’s body that were proven by medical witnesses to be not self-inflicted.

Justice Noorin noted that Bella was a special needs child, and the testimonies from witnesses had completed the prosecution’s narrative of her being neglected and abused until she suffered physical and emotional injuries.

“The court found it hard to conclude that the witnesses had created a false story against the appellant,” she said.

The judge further said that testimonies by expert witnesses were consistent while those from the appellant and defence witnesses were contradictory.

“The issues presented by the appellant as well as her defence failed to raise reasonable doubt in the charges against the appellant,” Justice Noorin said.

Siti Bainun was present at yesterday’s proceedings.

Deputy public prosecutors Zahida Zakaria and Analia Kamaruddin appeared for the prosecution while Haijan acted for his client together with lawyers Nur A’minahtul Mardiah Md Noor and Nurul Hafidzah Hassan.

On May 3 last year, Siti Bainun, 32, was sentenced by the Sessions Court to 10 years in jail for the offence of negligence and 12 years for abuse.

Both sentences were ordered to run concurrently from the date of sentencing.

Sessions Court judge Izralizam Sanusi also ordered Siti Bainun to sign a five-year good behaviour bond with RM5,000 collateral in one surety as well as for the accused to serve a six-month community service with an aggregate 200 hours after completing her prison sentence.