5 Year Old Abused Girl On Life Support

Update - August 18, 2013

The five-year-old girl suspected of being abused by her mother continues to be on life support since she was admitted to the Raja Permaisuri Bainun Hospital here on Thursday (Aug 15).

Hospital head of paediatric department Datuk Dr Amar Singh said the child, who is being warded at the intensive care unit, has not regained consciousness or showed any signs of movement.

"When her father brought her in, she had no heartbeat and had to be resuscitated," he told reporters during a press conference on Sunday.

Dr Amar Singh said the attending physician who noticed bruises and lacerations all over the girl's head and body immediately knew it was an abuse case and alerted the police.

"While we cannot ascertain the object used to inflict the wounds yet, the injuries are too severe to have been self-inflicted.

"We suspect there are internal injuries as well, but the girl is currently too weak to undergo scans to find out," he said.

It was reported that the girl was taken to the Raja Permaisuri Bainun Hospital here by her father on Thursday. 

A doctor who noticed cane marks and bruises all over her head and body later lodged a police report, leading to the arrest of the parents at their home in Menglembu at about 1.30pm on Friday (Aug 16).

The Magistrate's Court then issued a three-day remand order against the parents on Saturday (Aug 17) to facilitate investigations.

Perak Women Development, Family, Community, Welfare and National Integration committee chairman Datuk Rusnah Kassim, who visited the girl on Saturday, expressed shock at the girl's condition.

"We have limited the access of family members to the ward while we wait for the police and state Welfare Department to investigate the possibility of more abusers within the family.

"Meanwhile, both the girl's brothers aged eight and two are under the care of the Welfare Department," she said, adding that the two siblings did not exhibit any signs of physical abuse.

Rusnah said she could not verify claims that the girl had special needs that led to the abuse, but stressed that no reason could justify injuring a child.

"Even is she is a special needs child, there are many avenues of help such as medical treatment, support groups and welfare homes.

"Parents should never resort to abuse as a means to discipline bad behaviour.

"Neighbours should also alert the authorities if they see or hear signs of child abuse, instead of treating other people's problems as not their own," she said.

 Source- NST

IPOH: A five-year-old girl suffered various bodily injuries after she was believed to have been abused by her own mother several days ago.

This five-year old girl is believed to have suffered multiple injuries on her whole body from being beaten by her mother at a home in Taman Wang, Menglembu in Ipoh, Perak. Pic: NST

The child was believed to have been canned by her mother at their house in Taman Wang, Menglembu here.

It is learnt that the 30-year-old woman became enraged with the girl's behaviour.

The girl's 39-year-old father took her to the Raja Permaisuri Bainun Hospital on Thursday for treatment.

The doctor, who attended to the child, lodged a police report at the hospital's police base.

Ipoh district police chief Assistant Commissioner Sum Chang Keong, when contacted, said police had detained the parents at 1.20pm today.

"They are expected to be brought to the magistrate's court here tomorrow for remand," he said.

Sum said the case was being investigated under Section 325 of the Penal Code for voluntarily causing grievous hurt.

- NST