By Dorcas Ting
KUCHING, Jul 27: A married couple claimed trial in separate Sessions Courts here today to charges of neglecting their seven-year-old son, after the child allegedly caused another seven-year-old boy to fall from a flat earlier this month.
The 39-year-old father and his 38-year-old wife were charged under Section 33(1)(a) of the Child Act 2001 for allegedly failing to provide reasonable supervision for their son.
The alleged offence took place at about 4pm on July 8.
If convicted, they face a fine of up to RM20,000, imprisonment of up to five years, or both.
During the court proceedings, the prosecution informed the court that the couple’s son had allegedly pushed another seven-year-old boy from a floor of the apartment building, leaving the victim injured.
The incident was said to have occurred after the victim refused to give the accused’s son money he had demanded, with the prosecution describing the act as a case of bullying.
In mitigation, the father, a lorry driver, told the court that his son had been under the supervision of his 18-year-old sister at the time of the incident.
Judge Iris Awen Jon granted the father bail of RM8,000 without deposit with one local surety, while Judge Noorhisham Mohd Jaafar allowed the mother, who works as a cleaner, bail of RM5,000 with one local surety.
Both accused were not represented by legal counsel. The court fixed Aug 28 for case management.
The prosecution was led by Deputy Public Prosecutors Chuah Kai Sheng and Adriana Maisarah Mohd Farid. — DayakDaily
