JOHOR BARU: Police have finally solved the murder of an 18-month-old boy, who is believed to have been sodomised, nearly three years after his death.
Johor police chief Comm Datuk Ab Rahaman Arsad said the boy’s 40-year-old father and 35-year-old uncle were arrested separately in Masai on July 18 and 22.
He said statements were recorded from 13 witnesses, including the victim’s mother, who is expected to testify as a prosecution witness once the case goes to court.
Comm Ab Rahaman said investigations showed that the father had brought the child to Hospital Sultan Ismail for treatment at 1.18am on Sept 13, 2023.
Doctors became suspicious after finding semen traces in the child’s anus and alerted the police.
The boy died at 10.40am later that day, and analysis by the Chemistry Department on the semen samples recovered from the child’s anus was inconclusive at the time.
Without elaborating, Comm Ab Rahaman said fresh leads recently emerged, providing investigators with a breakthrough that led to the arrest of the two suspects by officers from the Seri Alam district police headquarters.
The boy’s father has no criminal record, while the uncle is on record with 13 criminal and drug-related offences. The uncle also tested positive for cannabis.
Police seized two mobile phones belonging to the suspects who have been remanded.
Asked about the cause of death, Comm Ab Rahaman said it is believed to be blunt force trauma to the abdomen.
The case was initially investigated under Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act 2001 for exposing a child to abuse but has now been reclassified as murder under Section 302 of the Penal Code.
Comm Ab Rahaman said that the boy’s father would be charged for murder at the Johor Baru’s Magistrate’s Court today.
He added that the boy’s father would also be charged under Section 292 of the Penal Code for possession of obscene material.
He also urged the public not to spread unverified information about the case that could interfere with court proceedings.
