Nearly three years after investigations began, police have reclassified the death of an 18-month-old boy as a murder case, with the child’s father identified as the main suspect.
Johor police chief Datuk Ab Rahaman Arsad said the case was first reported on Sept 13, 2023, after a doctor from the Emergency Department of Hospital Sultan Ismail (HSI) alerted authorities.
According to police, the toddler was brought to the hospital by his 40-year-old father in an unconscious state. Medical examinations found bruising around the waist, a swollen abdomen and swelling around the anus.
The child was pronounced dead at 10.40am the same day.
Initially, the case was investigated under Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act 2001 for alleged neglect resulting in death.
Ab Rahaman said police interviewed 13 individuals, including close family members and the victim’s babysitter’s family, while DNA samples were also collected during the investigation.
However, forensic analysis by the Chemistry Department was unable to identify a suspect because traces of fluid believed to be semen found on the child’s body were insufficient for DNA profiling and comparison.
Investigations later led to the arrest of the victim’s father, aged 40, and the child’s 35-year-old uncle on July 18 and July 22, respectively.
Police said background checks found that the father, who works as a labourer in Singapore, had no previous criminal record. The uncle, however, has 13 criminal and drug-related records and tested positive for cannabis in a urine screening.
Ab Rahaman said investigators have not ruled out the possibility that the child was sexually assaulted by his father, although the matter remains under investigation.
Police also revealed that a search of the father’s mobile phone uncovered pornographic photos and videos.
Following the latest findings, the case has been reclassified under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder and Section 292 of the Penal Code for possession of obscene material.
The father is expected to be charged at the Johor Bahru Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday over both offences, while the child’s uncle, who has since been released, will serve as a prosecution witness.
