PETALING JAYA: The specialist doctor who examined the body of Zayn Rayyan Abdul Matin concluded at the Sessions Court here on Tuesday that the cause of death of the autistic child was due to a strangulation on the neck.
The specialist doctor who autopsied the body of Zayn Rayyan Abdul Matin concluded that the cause of death of the autistic child was due to a snarl on the neck.
The autopsy showed that there were blunt and sharp trauma marks on the victim's body, as well as foreign bodies were found in the respiratory cavity and in his stomach.
The married couple, Zaim Ikhwan Zahari and Ismanira Abdul Manaf, face a charge of neglect of their child and plead not guilty to the charges.
Consultant Forensic Physician Jusa C (M), Department of Forensic Medicine, Pasir Gudang Hospital Johor, Dr Rohayu Shahar Adnan said this during the trial of the victim's neglect case, in a manner that may have caused physical injury involving Zaim Ikhwan Zahari, 30, and his wife, Ismanira Abdul Manaf, 30. He who is also the 27th prosecution witness said the findings were obtained based on the results of an autopsy while he was serving at Sungai Buloh Hospital, at 12 noon on Dec 7, 2023.
Responding to a question from Deputy Public Prosecutor, Raja Zaizul Faridah Raja Zaharudin, Dr Rohayu, 54, said that strangulation on the neck may occur for example using ropes, lanyards or twisted cloths, so it is not due to suffocation.
Meanwhile, when reading the witness statement, Dr Rohayu, 54, said that based on the body of the deceased, the snares could be seen based on muscle bruises on the neck and thyroid gland.
"This shows that the act was strong enough to block the entry of oxygen into the lungs and brain, thus relaxing the deceased and resulting in death.
"There are shackles on the neck that overlap six centimetres below the right and left ears as well as the neck muscles and thyroid gland under the shackles are also bruised," he said.
He said the autopsy also found that there were blunt and sharp trauma marks.
In addition, a witness who has been working in the field of forensic medicine since 2003 said that foreign objects were found in the respiratory cavity and in Zayn Rayyan's stomach.
According to him, the eldest son of the accused couple was also bruised, indicating that the foreign object was forcibly inserted into his mouth.
However, he said the foreign object did not lead to death because the cause of death was not suffocation.
He said that in the anus area of the unfortunate child, there were also tear wounds and abrasions due to the entry of blunt objects but they were not deadly.
"There were blunt trauma marks such as bruises on the eyes, forehead, lips, back of the head, jaw, nape of the neck, back of the right shoulder, between the two shoulder blades, back of the body, chest, abdomen, right side of the body, right and left arms.
"There were also cuts, stabs and incisions in the left ear to the back of the left head," said the witness, who is also an honorary lecturer at Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM).
He said incisions were also detected on the back of the right side of the head, an incision wound on the upper right arm and an incision wound on the right forearm.
According to him, the effects of this blunt and sharp trauma were not deadly but were physical abuse on the victim.
He said the deceased's injury was a new injury, as there were traces of the body's immune system reaction that could be seen through microscopic examination.
Wrinkles on the skin of his palms and feet, he said, only showed contact or immersion in water, it was not the cause of death because Zayn Rayyan did not drown in the water.
"The body of the deceased had started to decompose, based on the greenish, peeling skin colour and the inflated abdomen.
"No defensive wounds or punching or kicking wounds were seen on the victim," he said, adding that no serious injuries to internal organs were found.
On June 13 last year, the couple pleaded not guilty to one count of neglect of their child, at the Sessions Court here.
According to the amended charges, the couple is charged together as the person who had custody of Zayn Rayyan, 6, having neglected him in a manner that may have caused physical injury.
The offence was allegedly committed in the area of Block R, Pangsapuri Idaman, Damansara Damai up to the nearby river area, between 12 noon on Dec 5, 2023 and 9.55 pm the next day.
The charge was made under Section 31(1)(a) of the Children Act 2001 and punishable under Section 31(1) of the same act read together with Section 34 of the Penal Code, which carries a fine not exceeding RM50,000 or imprisonment not exceeding 20 years or both, if convicted.
On December 6, 2023, Zayn Rayyan was found dead in a tributary, near the area of Idaman Apartments, Damansara Damai, at 10pm.
The victim was previously reported missing, before being found lying down, about 200 metres away from his residential block.
The trial before Judge Syahliza Warnoh continued on Wednesday.
