MELAKA: Three kindergarten teachers and a nursery assistant pleaded not guilty at the Ayer Keroh Sessions Court here to a charge of neglecting and abusing two children under their care.
All four accused - Nur Hanis Azwani Ghazali, 24, Hafsah Ab Razak, 33, Nur Diyana Zainudin, 24, and nursery assistant Jamia Abd Rahman, 41 - claimed trial in two separate proceedings before Judge Rohatul Akmar Abdullah and Judge Azaraorni Abd Rahman on Monday (June 10).
All four accused had allegedly exposed the children to risk and neglected the two siblings, aged four and six years, in a manner that may have caused the children to suffer physical and emotional harm.
The acts were allegedly committed at a preschool in Taman Cheng Indah, Tanjung Minyak, between mid-March to early May, this year.
The charge was framed under Section 31 (1)(a) of the Child Act 2001 and punishable under Section 31 (1) of the same Act, which provides for a prison term of up to 20 years or a fine of up to RM50,000, or both, upon conviction.
All four were represented by lawyer Mohd Fadil Mohd Yusof while prosecutions were carried out by Deputy Public Prosecutors Nur Syazwanie Marizan and Asnini Kamarudin. The victims’ family counsel Mohamed Ashmeer Mohamad Ashrof was also present at the court's complex.
Judge Rohatul Akmar granted bail of RM7,000 each to Jamia and Nur Hanis Azwani and set the next mention date on July 30.
Meanwhile, Judge Azaraorni set the bail at RM10,000 each for the two other accused and fixed July 24 as the re-mention date.
Both the courts also directed all the accused to report to the nearest police station every month and also barred them from approaching prosecution witnesses.
