Siti Bainun was found guilty of neglecting and abusing Bella
May 3, 2023
Siti Bainun was found guilty of neglecting and abusing Bella
Siti Bainun Ahd Razali was found guilty of neglecting and abusing a teenager with Down syndrome known as Bella, at the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court on Wednesday. - Photo of Astro AWANI/ SHAHIR OMAR
KUALA LUMPUR: The founder of Rumah Bonda, Siti Bainun Ahd Razali was found guilty of neglecting and abusing a teenager with Down syndrome known as Bella, at the Sessions Court here on Wednesday.
Judge Izralizam Sanusi in his decision said, the accused's defense is not only not credible or acceptable, but it also fails to raise any reasonable doubts about the prosecution's case.
"Therefore, overall I decided that the prosecution succeeded in raising reasonable doubt and thus the accused was found guilty and convicted of the first and second charges in accordance with Section 31(1)(a) of the Children Act 2001," he said when reading out the verdict here, on Wednesday.
The trial of the case began on March 30, 2022 and the prosecution closed the case after calling 22 witnesses.
The prosecution witnesses present are Bella herself as the 18th prosecution witness (SP); SP-5, former resident of Rumah Bonda, Yasmin Nahar Mahmood; SP-17, psychiatrist, Dr Wan Asyikin Wan Azlan; SP-1, assistant manager of a private company, Zurianty Sudin and SP-15, plastic surgeon Dr Salmi Mohamed Shukur.
On November 24 last year, the court ordered the accused to defend herself on the two charges.
After calling eight witnesses, Siti Bainun's defense team closed its case on March 9.
Among the witnesses present to defend Siti Bainun is the third defense witness (SD), co-founder of Rumah Bonda; Administrative Officer, Noor Marliana Ramlee and SD-6, Engku Farah Hanis Abdul Jalil and SD-8, senior lecturer in developmental psychology of children and adolescents with special needs, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Dr Abdul Rahman Ahmad Badayai.
Bella's case went viral on social media after a woman claimed that the teenage girl was doused with hot water and tied while under the care of Rumah Bonda.
Following that, on 20 August 2021, Siti Bainun was charged in the Sessions Court here, as the person responsible for taking care of a 13-year-old girl with Down's syndrome for neglecting that by causing the child to suffer physical and emotional injury.
On November 20 of the same year, the founder of Rumah Bonda was charged again in the same court on charges of abusing the teenager.
Bella case: Siti Bainun was sentenced to 12 years in prison
ASTRO AWANI
May 3, 2023
Bella case: Siti Bainun was sentenced to 12 years in prison
Siti Bainun Ahd Razali (left) after being found guilty of neglecting and mistreating a teenager with Down syndrome known as Bella, at the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court on Wednesday. - Photo of Astro AWANI/ SHAHIR OMAR
KUALA LUMPUR: The court sentenced the founder of Rumah Bonda, Siti Bainun Ahd Razali, to 12 years in prison after being found guilty of neglecting and mistreating a Down syndrome teenager known as Bella, at the Sessions Court, here on Wednesday.
For the charge of neglect, the accused was sentenced to 10 years in prison, while for the second charge of mistreatment, the accused was sentenced to 12 years in prison.
Judge Izralizam Sanusi ordered the two sentences to run concurrently from the date of conviction.
He also ordered a five-year good behavior bond with a local citizen surety along with a surety of RM5,000 for the sentence that has been handed down.
"In addition, OKT was also ordered to carry out a community service order for an aggregate of 200 hours which must be completed within six months after the end of the prison sentence," he said here on Wednesday.
According to the first and second charges, Siti Bainun is accused of neglecting and mistreating the 13-year-old Down syndrome girl, causing the victim to suffer physical and emotional injuries in a condominium unit in Wangsa Maju here between February and June 2021.
Siti Bainun was charged under Section 31(1) (a) of the Children Act 2001 which provides for a 20-year prison sentence or a fine of RM50,000 or both if convicted
