SEREMBAN: A 23-year-old babysitter was sentenced to serve 12 months in jail by the Sessions Court here after she pleaded guilty to a charge of causing injury and negligence by exposing a three-year-old toddler left under her care to danger.
Siti Nur Syafiqah Abdul Rahman did not contest the charge after it was read to her before judge Surita Budin.
The court also ordered Siti Nur Syafiqah to undergo 120 hours of community service within six months after completing her sentence.
"You are also to deposit a RM1,000 good behavior bond with one surety, failing which you will have to serve an additional two months in jail," she said, adding that Siti Nur Syafiqah’s jail term starts from the day of her arrest on Nov 5 last year.
The accused was charged with committing the offence in a room of a unit at Putra Point in Nilai around midnight on Nov 4 last year.
She was charged with scratching and using a knife to cause a cut on the right cheek of the baby boy till he bled and to cause swellings on his arm by pinching him.
The accused was charged under Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act 2001, punishable under Section 31(a) of the same legislation.
Offenders can be jailed up to 20 years or fined up to RM50,000 or both upon conviction.
Under the provision, it is a crime to abandon, neglect, or expose a child to danger. This includes causing physical or emotional harm to the child.
In mitigation, counsel for the accused Muhammad Hafiz Leman appealed for a minimum jail sentence as this was her first offence and that she was remorseful.
"The victim, who is from Sarawak, had moved here in search of a job to provide for her family back home.
"Apart from the victim, she was also looking after two of his older siblings and was promised RM600 for each of them.
"However, she was only paid RM600 in total by the victim's family," he claimed, adding that she was forced to resort to selling products online to complement her income.
Muhammad Hafiz who was from the Legal Aid Department said the accused had also saved the court's time by pleading guilty.
"Also, the victim did not sustain any serious injury and has since fully recovered," he said.
Deputy public prosecutor Norazihah Asmuni asked the court to impose a punishment which commensurates the offence as a deterrent to others.
"Saving the court’s time by pleading guilty straightaway should not be used as a mitigating factor as the accused had caused injury with a knife on a three-year-old child left under her care.
"Also, public interest supersedes that of the accused," she added.
