Mother’s 15-year jail term for causing child’s death upheld

PUTRAJAYA: A young mother, who pleaded guilty to causing the death of her daughter, aged two years and eight months, has her 15-year jail term upheld.

The Court of Appeal three-member panel, comprising Datuk Umi Kalthum Abdul Majid, Datuk Yaacob Md Sam and Datuk Mohamad Zabidin Mohd Diah, unanimously dismissed Aida Amira Harun’s appeal against her jail sentence.

Aida Amira, 25, was appealing against the Alor Setar High Court’s decision to increase her jail term to 15 years.

Initially, she was given a three-year jail term and a fine of RM3,000, in default one year jail by the Sungai Petani Sessions Court on May 28, 2017.

The sentence was meted out after she pleaded guilty to causing the death of her daughter Ainul Solehah Mohd Husamuddin in a house in Bandar Aman Jaya, Sungai Petani, on Aug 10, 2016.

But on May 30 last year, the High Court allowed the prosecution’s appeal to increase the jail term.

According to the facts of the case, Aida Amira rushed her daughter to Hospital Sultan Abdul Halim on Aug 10, 2016, after she found her unconscious.

A doctor, who treated the child, suspected that she was abused as there were bruises on her abdomen and private parts.

Aida Amira was arrested the following day and she later admitted to abusing her daughter a few times by kicking her.

A post-mortem report showed that the cause of death was due to ruptured intestines from blunt force.

Earlier, her lawyer Matthew Jude submitted that the 15-year jail term was excessive and that Aida Amira, who has two other children, was under stress at that time.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Nurshafini Mustafha said there were 31 injuries on the child, adding that Aida Amira should not have vented frustration on her daughter.