PETALING JAYA: Rumah Bonda founder Siti Bainun Ahd Razali, who was charged with neglecting and abusing a Down Syndrome girl known as Bella, told the sessions court that she had been receiving harsh criticism and death threats since the case went viral.
Siti Bainun, 31, said she also lost her job at the shelter and was forced to shut down her restaurant following a boycott by the public.
“There’s no point crying over spilt milk. I was called to enter my defence on the unproven allegations and was criticised because of Zurianty Sudin’s action in spreading an edited video of Bella.
“Even the two investigating officers could not hear clearly (what was said in) the video recorded by Zurianty.
“I don’t understand why the investigating officers said there was no need to see and hear the (contents of the) video, which is the basis of their investigation.
“If they could just listen and produce a transcript, the trial and investigation and even the charges will definitely not be prejudiced against me,” Bernama reported her as saying when reading her witness statement on the first day of her defence trial before judge Izralizam Sanusi.
Besides losing her job and closing down her restaurant, Siti Bainun said she had also been receiving death threats.
The fear for her life had prevented her from going out, she said.
“When I sought medical treatment at a hospital, even the nurses tried to harm me, which prompted my lawyers to interfere to ensure my safety,” she said.
While testifying about her relationship with Zurianty, who was the prosecution’s first witness, Siti Bainun could be seen in tears.
“In 2017, Zurianty and her two children came and lived with me in my condominium in Wangsa Maju because she had no place to stay after she got divorced from her second husband.
“She later rented a unit at the same condominium as her children wanted to be close to me.
“I pitied her and love her children. That’s why I didn’t mind having her stay at my house,” she said.
Siti Bainun said if Zurianty really meant to save Bella, she would not have played the “abused child with disabilities” sentiment to get public attention and provoke anger among netizens, knowing that people would hate and condemn her.
“When Bella was handed over back to JKM (the welfare department), Zurianty posted on Facebook about how much she pitied Bella. But, in reality, she never wanted to adopt Bella. She only used Bella for her Facebook content.
“In fact, when the case came out, she tried to be a hero and wanted to adopt one of the children under my custody, known as Jane, but not Bella,” she said.
On Bella’s injuries, Siti Bainun said she was made to understand that Balqis, another occupant of Rumah Bonda, had a fight with Bella and the two had run from the living room to the kitchen and laundry area where the thermos flask was placed.
“Yasmin (another occupant of Rumah Bonda) interfered and accidentally hit the kitchen shelf, causing the thermos flask on the shelf, with hot water in it, to fall on Bella,” she said, adding that she was not at home at the time.
However, she said she had taken Bella to a clinic for treatment.
On Nov 24 last year, the judge ordered Siti Bainun to enter her defence on two charges of neglecting and abusing Bella after the prosecution managed to establish a prima facie case against her at the end of the prosecution case.
Siti Bainun was alleged to have committed the offence at a condominium in Wangsa Maju between February and June 2021.
She is being charged under Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act 2001, which carries imprisonment for up to 20 years or a fine of RM50,000, or both, if found guilty.
The trial continues tomorrow. - FMT
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