A 36-year-old babysitter has been charged over the alleged abuse of an eight-month-old baby girl in Taman Perling, Johor Bahru, after the case recently resurfaced on social media.
Acting Johor Bahru Utara police chief Superintendent Azrol Anuar Nor said police detected a Facebook post about the incident, uploaded by the account Khas Penduduk Kulai ‘Official’ (KPK), at about 4pm on Saturday.
He said police had received a report from the baby’s 35-year-old mother on Sept 19, following the discovery of injuries on her daughter.
Investigations found that the mother noticed bruises on several parts of the baby’s body after her husband collected the child from the babysitter’s home in Taman Perling at about 6pm on Sept 18.
“Acting on the information, a team of officers and personnel from the Johor Bahru Utara district police headquarters’ Criminal Investigation Division arrested the babysitter, a 36-year-old local woman, at about 1.30pm on Sept 19.
“Police also seized a cane from the Taman Perling area to assist in the investigation,” he said in a statement on Sunday.
Azrol Anuar said background checks showed that the suspect had no previous criminal record, while an initial urine screening test returned negative for drugs.
The investigation papers were referred to the Johor State Prosecution Director’s Office on Sept 23, following which police were instructed to charge the suspect under Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act 2001.
The woman was subsequently charged at the Johor Bahru Court on Sept 24.
If convicted, she faces a maximum jail term of 20 years, a fine of up to RM50,000, or both.
