KAJANG: A former babysitter at a childcare centre has been sentenced to 14 months in prison for endangering a toddler by force-feeding her, which could have caused physical harm.
Sessions Court Judge Mazuliana Abdul Rashid delivered the sentence on 24-year-old Nor A’in Ismail, who maintained her guilty plea during sentencing. The sentence will be served from Tuesday (Sept 24).
In addition to the prison term, the court imposed a three-year good behaviour bond on Nor A’in with a surety of RM2,000 and mandated her to complete 120 hours of community service after her release.
The accused, dressed in a black dress, was seen in tears as she embraced her husband, who was present in the courtroom.
On June 6, Nor A’in pleaded guilty to intentionally exposing a one-year-and-five-month-old toddler to dangerous conditions. The incident took place at a childcare centre in Bandar Mahkota Cheras at 4:15pm on May 28.
She was charged under Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act 2001, which carries a maximum penalty of RM50,000, and up to 20 years in prison, or both.
The case facts revealed that the toddler's mother was informed by a teacher at the centre that the accused, known as 'Anne,' had forcefully fed the child after she refused to eat. The teacher even showed a video recording of the incident, captured on her mobile phone.
Prior to the incident, the victim's father noticed a small wound on his daughter's nose, prompting the parents to visit the centre and request a refund of their deposit fee from the owner.
In mitigation, lawyer S. Priyalatha, representing Nor A’in, requested the court to impose a fine instead of a prison sentence. She explained that her client had recently given birth to a daughter, now two months old, who has a heart condition.
"The accused, a housewife, is also battling stage two thyroid cancer and is undergoing treatment at Putrajaya Hospital and the National Cancer Institute. At the time of the incident, she was seven months pregnant and experiencing mood swings. She has since apologised to the victim's family and pledged not to repeat the offence,” the lawyer said.
However, Deputy Public Prosecutor Faelly Jeffrey Lanjungan argued for severe punishment, emphasising the vulnerable state of the victim, a non-verbal child who could not defend herself.
"The child was sent to the centre for care, not to be abused by the babysitter,” said Faelly. - Bernama
