FOUR YEARS’ IMPRISONMENT: Melissa being escorted to the court room for her sentencing.
KUCHING: A mother of two was sentenced to jail for four years for neglecting and causing suffering and death to her nine-month old baby boy.
Melissa Nawawi, aged 28, from RPR Batu 13, Kuching Serian Road, appeared before Magistrate Zulhairil Sulaiman who convicted her under Section 31(1)(a) of the Children Act 2001 yesterday.
The charge carries a jail term of not more than 10 years or a fine not more than RM20,000 or both.
The brief facts of the case revealed that the complainant, who is the accused’s sister, lodged a police report on June 16 at about 5.30pm, that her sister Melissa had come to her house at RPR Batu 13, with her two children.
The complainant noticed the baby was in a very poor condition and there were bruises on his face, chest and stomach and immediately brought him to the Sarawak General Hospital for treatment.
The baby was immediately admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and a doctor in-charge told the complainant to lodge a police report because the baby was badly neglected and was suffering from malnutrition.
The complainant suspected the baby was being abused by her mother when she ran away to Kampung Seratau.
The baby died on July 6 at 10.45am. The doctor had certified that the cause of death was septicemic shock due to multi-organ failure.
The police arrested the accused on July 6 at 2.52pm.