KANGAR: Police have arrested a 26-year-old crane operator on suspicion of abusing his six-year-old nephew at a house in Kuala Perlis near here.
Kangar OCPD Asst Comm Yusharifuddin Mohd Yusop said the male suspect was arrested at 12.20am on Sunday (Sept 7).
He is believed to have beaten the boy's left hand with a belt, leaving bruises.
ACP Yusharifuddin said police received a report from the victim's 37-year-old aunt on Saturday (Sept 6).
He added that the child cliaimed he had been beaten by his uncle at his grandfather's house.
"The incident is believed to have occurred because the victim was playing and drawing on his own face with a marker pen in the living room.
"The suspect checked the boy and allegedly proceeded to hit him with a belt.
"Previously, the victim had claimed to have been beaten by the suspect, who lives with his grandfather, several times.
"His aunt did not file a police report at the time ... to maintain good family relations," he said in a statement.
He said the child, with his two siblings aged four and nine, have been jointly cared for by the aunt and their paternal grandfather who lives nearby.
The children's father is currently in prison and their mother has remarried, he added.
ACP Yusharifuddin said the victim and his siblings have been referred to Hospital Tuanku Fauziah here for further examination while the suspect has been remanded for four days from today to assist in the investigation under Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act 2001. – Bernama
