Sentence of woman who caused child’s death increased

PUTRAJAYA: The Court of Appeal has increased the jail sentence of a female production operator to 15 years for causing the death of her four-year-old stepdaughter.

A three-man Bench comprising Datuk Wira Mohtarudin Baki, Datuk Mohd Zawawi Salleh and Datuk Kamardin Hashim allowed the prosecution’s appeal for a longer jail term on Siti Zabrina Adin, 42.

Justice Mohtarudin who chaired the panel said the 10 years’ jail sentence imposed by the Seremban High Court on the woman last April 14 was manifestly inadequate.

Siti Zabrina was initially charged with murder but later pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of culpable homicide not amounting to murder of Nur Damia Amani Mohd Azam, aged four years and 11 months, at a house in Port Dickson, between 3.30pm and 5.15pm on Aug 7, 2015.

According to the statement of the facts, Siti Zabrina took a hanger and beat the child’s hands and legs as punishment for not eating her food and giving it to her pet cat instead.

She scolded the child again for not taking her bath but the girl did not respond and merely stared at her. Angry at this, she kicked the child on the chest, forcing the latter to move back against the wall.

The child later went to take her bath and Siti Zabrina reportedly rushed to the bathroom after hearing a sound and found the girl lifeless near the toilet bowl. The victim’s father brought her to a clinic, which pronounced her dead.

The post-mortem report showed old and new bruises on the body, and the chest injury as the cause of death. — Bernama