An Indonesian domestic helper was sentenced to four years in prison by the Sessions Court here today after pleading guilty to neglecting a two-year-old boy who later drowned in an adult swimming pool.
Judge Suhaila Haron ordered Wahyuni Tanjung, 44, to serve the sentence from July 29, the date of her arrest. The court heard that Wahyuni had taken the victim and his five-year-old brother to the adult pool despite knowing that neither child could swim.
The court was told that the children were brought to the pool without any swimming aids or floats. Wahyuni subsequently left them unattended when she went to the toilet, resulting in the toddler being found drowning.
Wahyuni appeared emotional when shown photographs from the victim’s post-mortem report but did not make a plea for a lighter sentence. She was unrepresented in court and told the judge that her husband had died 14 years ago and that she has a 16-year-old son living in Indonesia.
According to the charge, Wahyuni, who was responsible for the child’s care, committed the offence at an adult swimming pool at a residence in Sentul between 6pm and 7pm on July 28. She was charged under Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act 2001, which carries a maximum fine of RM50,000, imprisonment for up to 20 years, or both upon conviction.
The facts of the case revealed that the victim’s mother had asked Wahyuni, who had only been working for the family for about a month, to take the two children swimming at the residence.
At about 7pm, Wahyuni contacted the victim’s mother and informed her that the boy had drowned. Members of the public performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) before the child was taken to Selayang Hospital, where he was admitted to the intensive care unit.
Despite efforts to save him, the boy was pronounced dead at about 4am the following day. A post-mortem examination at the Forensic Department of Kuala Lumpur Hospital found that the cause of death was consistent with drowning.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Md Subri Hashim urged the court to impose an appropriate sentence, stressing that it should serve as a lesson to the accused and other individuals entrusted with caring for children.
