Mother, boyfriend held for allegedly abusing her two children

A woman and her boyfriend have been detained for allegedly abusing her two sons, aged seven and five years, in an incident in a room at a workshop near Permatang Tinggi here, last week.

Seberang Perai Tengah district police chief ACP Shafee Abdul Samad said the children's mother and her male companion were detained at the Bukit Mertajam Hospital grounds at about 3.20 am, yesterday.

"The 28-year-old male suspect, a lorry driver, has been remanded for seven days while the 33-year-old woman, who is a housewife, was released on police bail (as she was pregnant)," he said in a statement here today.

Shafee said a police report was lodged by the victims' uncle after he found injuries on the boys' limbs as if they had been beaten and suspected abuse.

"Following that, the 39-year-old uncle who is a logistics executive sent the children for treatment at Bukit Mertajam Hospital prior to the arrests of the two suspects who wanted to visit the victims.

"However, the two suspects admitted that they had beaten the victims for being naughty and stubborn," he said.

The victims told they were beaten by both the suspects by using their hands, a stick and a belt, and police found bruises on the boys' calves, thighs and buttocks.

"Before this, the victims had been living at a Social Welfare Department hostel from December to March this year during the Movement Control Order (MCO) period and were later taken care of by the complainant, their uncle," he said.

The uncle had sent the boys to their mother from June 24 to July 3 because he had to take his mother for a medical appointment and there was no one to look after his nephews.

"However, after they returned, their uncle found bruises on their bodies and suspected they had been abused," Shafee said.

The case is being investigated underunder Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act 2001

-- BERNAMA