KUALA TERENGGANU: Police are on the manhunt for a 37-year-old man from Gong Badak, here who routinely thrashed his four stepchildren, aged five to nine as a means to take out his frustrations on their mother.
District police chief Assistant Commissioner Idris Abdul Rafar said that the mother opened up to her brother on Thurday after the kids were badly beaten up some two weeks ago.
"The uncle was so shocked he rushed straight to the house to check on the children but only the youngest was at home. He then went to the school to check on the rest."
"All of them were found with scars and bruises which were mostly on their buttocks and legs. They were also taken to the hospital for treatment," he said while adding that the marks on the children’s bodies were caused by lashes from a rotan.
The uncle had also told police officers that the stepfather had kicked them and beat the children, before lodging a report at the Gong Badak Police Station.
"The children were used as his punching bag after fighting with his wife. The mother had also initially kept silent as she was afraid of her husband and it was difficult to leave the house to lodge a report," he added.
Attempts to trace the man is underway and the case is being investigated under Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act of 2001.