KUALA LUMPUR: The grandaunt of a 5-year old girl, who was believed to have been brutally kicked to death, was charged at the Selayang magistrate's court today with murder.
According to the charge sheet, 55-year old Ipzuma Ambo, had murdered the 5-year old phyically disabled (OKU) girl at their home in Kampung Sungai Chin Chin, Gombak.
Ipzuma, an Indonesian who works as a maid, indicated that she understood the charge that was read to her before magistrate Nik Mohd Fadli Nik Azlan.
Ipzuma allegedly committed the offence between 12.01am on Dec 12 and 8.10am on Dec 30, last year.
Under Section 302 of the Penal Code, she faces a mandatory death sentence, if convicted.
Deputy public persecutors Nurul Ain Shafie and Nur Shasha Hidayah Nor Azahar prosecuted while the accused was represented by counsel Suriati Che Arifin.
The court set Feb 18 for mention pending a forensics report.
Meanwhile at the Sessions Court, the father of the victim pleaded not guilty to child neglect before judge Maziah Joary Tajudin.
According to the charge sheet, the 34-year old lorry driver as the guardian of the victim had neglected her, causing the child to sustain physical injuries.
He allegedly committed the offence at the same place between Jan 1, last year and Dec 30, the same year.
The offence under Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act carries a maximum fine of RM50, 000 or a jail term of up to 20 years or both, if convicted.
Nurul Ain offered RM15, 000 bail, while the accused's lawyer Suriati pleaded for a minimum bail.
The court then allowed the father RM8,000 bail in one surety and ordered the accused to report to the police station on the first day of each month.
He was also prohibited by the court to go near the witnesses in the case.
His case will also be up for mention on Feb 18.
It was reported that three men and three women were arrested after a post-mortem examination on the body of a 5-year-old girl found that she had died of injuries sustained from physical abuse.
The case was initially classified as "sudden death" after the girl's grandaunt reported that she had found the girl unconscious at their home in Kampung Sungai Chinchin at 7pm on Dec 30.
However, the post-mortem examination the following day revealed that her intestines had ruptured as a result of a blow or several blows, believed to be kicks and the case was reclassified as murder.
Police believed the abuse stemmed from frustration as the girl was unable to walk and any sort of movement had to be aided, plus she could not control her bowel movements.