Cops probing alleged abuse of autistic child at Selangor school

A mother in Kajang has lodged a police report to seek justice for her autistic son, whom she believed was abused at a Selangor school for special needs children.

Maria Fransiska, 38, said she became suspicious when her nine-year-old son Tharun Haree Murugan returned from school on Aug 15 with injuries on his limbs.

“Upon arriving from school, my son immediately went to the kitchen and took our medicine box while repeatedly saying ‘hurt’.

“He took some band-aid plasters to put on his hand. I asked him if he fell down at school, but my son could only tell me he was hurt,” she told Malaysiakini.

According to Maria, who is a housewife, her son has echolalia and is unable to have two-way communication.

She said there were some bruises and lesions on Tharun’s left limbs and both of his thighs.

Suspecting that something was amiss, she then took her son to a government hospital, where she claimed a doctor confirmed the injuries consistent with whipping by a cane.

“When I sent photos of my son’s injuries to his teacher, the teacher claimed no knowledge of what happened and that there was no problem with my son at school.

“The doctor who treated my son advised me to lodge a police report, and so I did,” she said.

Police later arranged a meeting between her and Tharun’s teachers at the Kajang school, Maria said, but the educators could not answer what or who caused the injuries.

She claimed that the school ended up apologising to her, saying that they overlooked the incident.

“This really broke my heart, I cannot accept the school’s excuse. How come they could just say they overlooked the incident involving my special needs son who is unable to communicate with people,” Maria said.

‘Not the first time’

She said this incident was not the first time. She noticed Tharun, who is her only child, come back with a bruise on his thigh last year.

She brushed it off then, thinking her son could have hit his thigh on something by accident.

“There was also one time when he came home with a shoe imprint on the back of his shirt. This was last year,” she said.

Malaysiakini has contacted the Kajang district police chief Mohd Zaid Hassan, who confirmed they have received a report from the mother.

“The case is under investigation,” he said, without elaborating further. - Mkini