Coroner’s court rules Mohamad Thaqif amin died of complications from leptospirosis

0

JOHOR BAHRU: The Coroner’s Court here yesterday ruled that the death of a tahfiz religious school pupil in Kota Tinggi, Mohamad Thaqif Amin Mohd Gaddafi, 11, on April 26, 2017, was due to complications associated with leptospirosis (rat urine disease).

Coroner Jailani Abd Rahman also ruled that no one was to be criminally liable for the death of the pupil.

Jailani arrived at the decision after considering the testimonies of 18 witnesses and 63 exhibits presented  during the inquest from April 10 last year until Jan 29 this year.

He said the testimony of the 11th witness, Forensics Physician of Sultanah Aminah Hospital, Dr Mohamad Aznool Haidy Ahsorori, was a major factor in arriving at the decision.

“I have looked into all the evidence presented before me and I am satisfied that the death of Mohamad Thaqif Amin is due to Acute Infectious Purpura Fulminans complicating Leptospirosis, a complicated disease associated with rat urine disease.

“And no one is criminally liable, either by act or omission towards his (Mohd Thaqif Amin) death.

My verdict is as follows, his death is a mishap or a misadventure,” Jailani said.

Furthermore, he said testimonies by other witnesses, including Mohamad Thaqif Amin’s mother, father and uncle, indicated that the pupil went to a swimming pool at Jalan Mawai in Kota Tinggi, with his cousins, although all witnesses failed to identify the exact date of them going to the pool,  whether it was on 22 or 23 March 2017.

“Not only was  Mohamad Thaqif Amin punished (in the religious school) but also other pupils.

The punishment was on the soles of the feet and there is no evidence of other bruises on the body and other limbs.

“His mother also stated that when checking out her son (Mohamad Thaqif Amin), she did not see any bruises from the hitting on the legs.

The court also identified a closed-circuit television (CCTV) recording that was presented in court and found that the punishment was seen to be minimum and not fatal to the extent of causing death,” he said.

Mohamad Thaqif Amin was admitted to the Sultan Ismail Hospital (HSI) on April 19, 2017, after reportedly being injured in  his legs,  believed to have been whipped by the school’s assistant warden.

After both his legs had to be amputated on April 22, 2017, the infection spread to Mohamad Thaqif Amin’s right arm from blood clots and he was scheduled to be amputated from the fingers to below his elbow.

However, the surgery was postponed because his heart was reportedly to be unstable before he died at 2.05pm, April 26, 2017, after eight days of treatment.

Johor prosecution director Roslan Mat Nor and deputy public prosecutor Suhaila Shafi’uddin assisted the inquest. — Bernama