Last Thursday (27th December 2018) at around 9pm, an 8-year-old girl in Air Itam, Penang, was rushed to the hospital after her neighbours found her alone at home suffering burns on one side of her body.
According to Harian Metro, a neighbour overheard the incident next door and alerted a friend who lives in the same area. The neighbour’s friend then went over to the flat to check on the family and immediately took the girl to the Air Itam police station to lodge a police report after finding her. Soon after that, she was taken to Penang Hospital for immediate treatment.
Source: Electives.net
Timur Laut District Police Chief Asst Comm Che Zaimani Che Awang previously told the daily that this incident allegedly transpired when the young girl’s father accused her of taking RM10 from her mother without permission.
However, in an update on the story, the police chief stated that the father actually splashed hot water on his daughter because he was angry to find that his four children had finished all the food his wife had cooked after returning home from work. He was quoted by the New Straits Times as saying,
“Hungry and furious, he stormed into the living room where his three older children were sleeping, woke them up before he scolded and beat them up. He also took a bowl of hot water from their water filter machine and splashed it on the victim.”
“The incident where the victim allegedly stole RM10 from her mother was an old incident and it was not the reason the father splashed hot water on the girl, causing her to suffer scald burns on her arms, ribs and chest.”
According to The Star, the 8-year-old victim’s arms, side, and right chest suffered burns. Doctors told Free Malaysia Today that she suffered 3 per cent mid-dermal burns, but is fortunately stable and is being treated with antibiotics. The police chief was quoted as saying,
“Her condition is stable and she can still communicate, but we are waiting for her to fully recover to get her statement.”
Source: Utusan Online
According to police investigations, the victim is the second of four children and the neighbour claims all four of the children are often neglected by their parents. Asst Comm Che Zaimani told Harian Metro,
“Now, we understand that the victim’s 41-year-old father and mother are both missing.”
It was reported that the parents fled to an unknown destination after the incident, leaving their four children behind. The police chief continued,
“Their eldest and third children are now staying with their grandmother who is living in the same flat. Police are in the midst of tracking down the couple who were using a white Proton Saga with a registration plate number PCK 9818.”
This case is now being investigated under Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act 2001.
Let’s hope this child makes a quick recovery and that her welfare is made the utmost priority once her parents are appropriately punished by the authorities.
Also read: 3-Month-Old M’sian Baby Suffers Broken Arm After Nanny Allegedly Abused Him
