BENTONG: Since his 2-year-old daughter had communication problems, B. Navarajan thought a change of environment might be beneficial.
He said a couple, who were his wife’s friends, had promised to look after the girl as if she was their own.
The 29-year-old told the New Straits Times he did not realise he was handing over the toddler with suspected autism to “monsters” who allegedly abused the girl, leaving her with bruises and wounds including burn marks on her face, hands and body.
To make matters worse, the operations manager from Tampoi, Johor, only realised the “nightmare” that his daughter had endured when he went to fetch her from the suspects in Karak, here, on Oct 11.
In a voice choked with emotion, Navarajan said he never expected the family friend, who had two children of their own, to display such cruelty especially after promising to take care of the girl and send her to a pre-school that offered speech theraphy in Karak.
Penang-born Navarajan said the incident unfolded in late August when the couple stayed at their house in Tampoi and became very close to his daughter.
“The woman told us that we must allow our daughter to mingle with other children and was willing to take care of my daughter.
“She claimed the pre-schools attended by her sons would be able to treat my daughter.
“We were quite reluctant to be separated from my daughter, but we decided to give it a try.
“We sent her with a heavy heart, hoping to see some improvements and furthermore, the couple have two sons (aged three years and nine months, respectively).
“So, we thought she would have new friends and begin to talk slowly.”
Navarajan said after the couple returned to Karak with his daughter, his family would call and speak to his daughter daily through video calls and she appeared normal.
However, early this month, Navarajan said he realised that his daughter started to avoid the video calls and sometimes the woman would hold his daughter tightly throughout the video call.
He said since his family was planning a trip to Batu Caves on Oct 11, they planned to travel to Karak and fetch their daughter on the same day.
“Two days before our trip, the woman called claiming my daughter threw a phone into the toilet bowl and later suffered some bruises on her leg after falling down from the sofa.
“I was shocked as my daughter does not even know how to use the toilet.
“When I fetched her about 4.30am on Oct 11, my daughter looked so thin and there was a scar on her face. The couple claimed she fell while at the playground.
“They informed us about the fall, but we never expected it to be so severe,” he said, adding that the family then left for the Batu Caves temple.
“Upon reaching the temple, we were getting ready for prayers when my wife realised that my daughter’s body was full of scars and bruises, including near her private parts.”
Shocked, his family members who were in tears by then, cancelled the prayers and lodged a police report at the Bentong police station before taking the girl to a hospital.
“An ambulance later took my wife and daughter to Temerloh hospital l(Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Hospital) where doctors confirmed there were new and old injuries on her body probably caused by caning or other objects.
“There were also burn scars on her body and she lost weight by five kilogrammes and weighed just 15kg.
“My daughter is now traumatised and each time we talk to her, she will put her hands down straight, and stare on the floor. Even when we call her name, she will cry.
“My family is depressed and angry over the whole thing as someone we trusted mistreated an innocent child who has yet to learn to talk,” he said, adding hat his daughter was discharged yesterday.
Navarajan, who also has a four-month-old son, said he felt that it was also his fault because he did not check the couple’s background before allowing his daughter to follow them.
“Since she is suspected to have autism, the pre-school in my area did not accept her as she has to learn some basics.
“We sent her hoping for some positive changes, but her condition has worsened.
“My only aim now is to help my daughter recover to her normal self,” he said.
Meanwhile, Bentong police chief Superintendent Yusuf Unis confirmed that a report was lodged on the incident.