Woman held for abuse of girl, 10, in Penang

GEORGE TOWN: Police have arrested a woman to assist with investigations into the alleged abuse of a 10-year-old girl who was left at the entrance of a condominium in Pulau Tikus here on Feb 11.

Northeast police chief Soffian Santong said the 41-year-old woman, who works as a dishwasher, was arrested in Pulau Tikus yesterday following police surveillance and intelligence gathering.

“The woman, who is also the child’s biological mother, has been remanded for six days until Feb 24 to assist with investigations.

“Background checks found she has no previous criminal record and even the urine tests came back negative,” he said in a statement here today.

Soffian said police are now seeking the woman’s husband, who is also the girl’s stepfather, as he was also believed to be involved with the child’s abuse.

The girl had claimed she was beaten by her biological mother, while her stepfather had allegedly used a heated knife to sear her hands and feet.

“When the girl was discovered by occupants of the condominium, they found burn marks on her right hand and left foot, caused by a heated metal. The victim was then taken to seek treatment,” he said, adding that the child is not a resident of the condominium, and lives at another place in Pulau Tikus.

He said police are currently completing the investigation paper and the case is being investigated under Section 31 (1) (a) of the Child Act 2001, which carries a fine not exceeding RM50,000 or a jail term not exceeding 20 years, or both, upon conviction.

In another incident, Soffian said police arrested two men, aged 33 and 44, to assist in investigations into the alleged robbery and assault of a Bangladeshi man.

Soffian said the two men were arrested in George Town area yesterday. Police had also seized the helmet they purportedly used to rob and beat the 56-year-old victim.

In the incident on Friday, the victim who was manning a car park along Jalan Abu Siti here, was approached by the two suspects on a motorcycle. They hit him with a helmet before setting off with his sling bag containing cash and other personal documents.- FMT