Desperate to see her children, woman fakes own drowning

KUANTAN: A 38-year-old woman faked her drowning as a ploy to meet her children, who were separated from her since her divorce from their father two months ago.

Maran District Police chief Norzamri Abd Rahman said the woman and her family came forward to the Jengka Police Station this morning to explain that a report lodged by her mother yesterday that she was feared drowned was not true.

He said the woman’s mother, aged 55, lodged the police report at about 4.15pm yesterday, claiming that her daughter fell into a river at Felda Jengka 15, Maran, while they were fishing.

“Following investigation, it was found that the woman is staying with her mother since the divorce, while her four children were under the custody of her ex-husband, who is in Dong, Raub.

“She was said to have attempted to commit suicide, but was persuaded by family members against doing so.

She hoped that the ploy on her drowning would bring the children to visit her,” he told reporters here yesterday.

Norzamri said the case would be investigated under Section 192 of the Penal Code for making a false report, while police would also refer the woman to the Social Welfare Department (JKM) for counselling.

Following the report lodged yesterday, a search and rescue operation was carried out by the Pahang Fire and Rescue Department, and had been halted after the woman and her mother clarified the matter to the police. — Bernama