A Malaysian couple was sentenced to the gallows yesterday (28 February) after being found guilty of murdering their 22-year-old daughter five years ago. The incident is reported to have taken place at Jalan Air Putih, Taman Semarak, Binjai in Chukai at 10.45pm on 26 April 2016.
According to Judge Datuk Zainal Azman Abd Aziz, the sentenced was meted out on Anuar Yusof, 55 and his wife, Murni Ahmad, 40, who was the stepmother to the victim, Siti Hajar, 22, after finding that the defence had failed to raise reasonable doubt against the prosecution’s case, reported Astro Awani.
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Based on the victim’s physical condition, Judge Zainal Azman said that the girl was left to starve, her health was neglected and was abused until she only weighed about 18kg.
He added that the facts of neglect and abuse was mentioned by the surgeons during their testimony which both the accused did not deny.
“It was impossible that their actions were committed during a span of a few days, instead the victim probably suffered for months,” he said.
“Both the accused would surely have known of the pain endured by the victim but did not take any action nor provide adequate treatment until she died.”
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The couple’s two other children, Siti Sarah Anuar, 26, and her 19-year-old brother (who was 14 years old during the incident) also faced the same charge but were acquitted and discharged by the court after they were found not guilty.
Judge Zainal Azman said Siti Sarah and her brother were also under the couple’s care, but could not do much because they were bound to their parents’ actions.
The four accused were jointly charged under Section 302 of the Penal Code for the murder of Siti Hajar. The prosecution was led by deputy public prosecutor Zulfazliah Mahmud, while all of the accused were represented by lawyer Masliela Ismail.
Throughout the trial, the prosecution called 24 witnesses to the stand while the defence called seven witnesses, including the four accused.
According to Harian Metro, the incident was detected after the police grew suspicious of the death report made by the girl’s father.
In the report, it stated that the victim had suffered ‘normal pain’, which did not account for the bite marks on the girl’s body as well as bruises on her eyes, thus exposing the actions taken by her own family members.
Preliminary investigation by the police also found that the victim was too thin, weighing only 18kg as she did not eat enough.
Following that, the four suspects were arrested at the family home at 1.50am on 1 May 2016.
Also read: 4yo S’porean Dies After Stepdad Kicks & Punches Stomach For Urinating Outside Toilet
