Nine-month-old abused baby brain-dead

SIBU: A nine-month-old boy said to have been abused by a babysitter has been declared brain-dead by two doctors at Sibu Hospital.

Sibu OCPD Asst Comm Stanley Jonathan Ringgit said that despite two doctors coming to the same conclusion, the baby’s parents were unable to accept his condition and insisted on keeping him on life support.

He said Aariz Harraz Zahin Azman was declared brain-dead at 9.10am yesterday.

“Two examinations made on the boy by hospital authorities concluded that the child is brain-dead.

“But the parents do not want the life support machine, which their son has been reliant on, to be switched off,” he added.

ACP Stanley said the parents and the hospital, however, agreed that the machine would be switched off today if the boy’s heart stops beating.

On Jan 7, the victim was rushed to the hospital’s intensive care unit in critical condition, with bleeding in the brain and fractures on the left side of his skull.

His parents, both teachers, had dropped him off with the suspect on Jan 5 before going to work. They returned to the babysitter’s home later after receiving a call from her.

Aariz Harraz, the youngest of three children, had been under the babysitter’s care since August last year.

The 39-year-old was arrested on Tuesday evening after a police report was lodged by the parents, and is under remand until today.

The suspect was caring for four children in her home in Jalan Permaijaya which had been illegally converted into a childcare centre.

The police are now investigating the case under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder, instead of Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act 2001.

Another victim, a 17-month-old boy, sustained broken teeth and bruises on his lips and is recovering.