JOHOR BARU: A four-year-old boy in Batu Pahat has died from alleged physical abuse at the hands of his guardian and sister.
Police were notified of the case after a 23-year-old man lodged a report at around 6.45pm on Friday (Dec 23).
The victim had been taken to a clinic for treatment after apparently fainting at his home at Senggarang, Batu Pahat.
Johor police chief Comm Datuk Kamarul Zaman Mamat said police, following up on the report, then arrested five people around Senggarang between midnight and 9.45pm on Saturday (Dec 24).
Three females between the ages of 15 and 37 were among them.
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“Two of the suspects arrested were the victim’s sister and her husband,” he said here on Tuesday (Dec 27).
Comm Kamarul Zaman added that police also seized several items including a mobile phone charger, a pillowcase, a bedsheet, a 73.6cm (29in) iron bar, a coat hanger, a fan covering and a motorcycle rod.
He said the seized items were allegedly used to abuse the child.
“The victim was under the care of his 19-year-old sister as their parents are currently in prison serving time for drug offences.
"However, the sister handed the victim to her friends to look after.
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"Sadly, the victim died at Hospital Sultan Ismail here at 6.45pm on Monday (Dec 26) after being warded for medical treatment since Friday,” he said.
Comm Kamarul Zaman added that five suspects were being remanded until Saturday (Dec 31) to help with investigations of the alleged abuse.
Initially, the case was being investigated under Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act 2001.
“But with the victim’s death, we are reclassifying the case under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder,” he said, adding that a post-mortem would be conducted to determine the cause of death.
