A 32-year-old man was sentenced to death by the High Court here today after being found guilty of fatally abusing his three-year-old stepson using a pipe, wooden stick, belt, and clothes hanger.
Judge Norliza Othman handed down the sentence to S. Davandakumar, who was convicted after the prosecution successfully proved the case beyond reasonable doubt at the close of the defence’s submissions. The court rejected the accused’s defence as a mere denial without substance.
“The victim in this case was a three-year-old child. The autopsy report confirms that he was small and underweight. He was mercilessly beaten with a pipe, wooden stick, belt, and clothes hanger, then submerged in water and dragged into a room where the assault continued until he died,” the judge stated. “Given the severity of the cruelty, the only fitting sentence is death by hanging.”
Davandakumar was charged under Section 302 of the Penal Code for causing the death of K. Nithish at a house on Jalan Hulubalang 28, Taman Sentosa, between 9.30 am and 5.30 pm on 24 December 2021.
During mitigation, defence lawyer Zamri Ibrahim highlighted that his client was unmarried, the youngest of three siblings, and had expressed remorse while promising not to repeat such actions.
However, Deputy Public Prosecutors Farah Aqilah Ahmad Fuad and Maryam Jamielah Ab. Manaff stressed the abhorrent nature of the crime, describing it as “extremely cruel and unforgivable” for taking the life of an innocent child. They revealed that the abuse lasted for three consecutive days, leaving the victim with multiple injuries, including being submerged in a water-filled bucket, choked, bitten on the neck and hands, ultimately causing death.
Tragically, the abuse occurred in front of the victim’s biological mother, leaving her with lifelong trauma.
The case first came to light on 24 December 2021 after a medical officer at Hospital Tengku Ampuan Rahimah (HTAR) reported the child’s condition to the police. Davandakumar was initially charged at the Klang Magistrate’s Court on 5 January 2022.
This harrowing case highlights the devastating consequences of child abuse and the judiciary’s firm stance in delivering justice for vulnerable victims.
