Child abuse: Father, stepmother remanded

A husband and wife duo has been brought to face the Magistrates Court today to help facilitate investigations in the case of an abused five-year-old girl.

Pasir Mas Senior Registrar, Rashid Mustafa, ordered the suspects to be remanded for four days beginning today.

The suspects are the victim’s stepmother, 25, and biological father, 39, and were detained at a restaurant in Kota Bharu on Sunday at 9pm.

The two are believed to have been trying to evade authorities following the incident on June 25, 2015.

It was previously reported that Nur Zuliana Zaara had suffered from severe trauma after being made a victim of torture at the hands of her stepmother for the past two years.

She was discovered by her biological mother, Sana Abdul Malek, 28, who found old and new scars on her body. She was also found to be malnourished.

Doctors found a total of 13 broken bones on her body including her backbone, and also fractures on her hips, arms and thighs.

Nur Zuliana is currently being warded at the Raja Perempuan Zainab II Hospital and will undergo surgery today.

The case is being investigated under Section 31 (1) of the Child Act 2001.

The suspects were represented by a lawyer who had filed for a release on bail for the female suspect as she is nursing an 11-month-old baby.