Brother of dead boy ‘also abused’

Four-year-old child has bruises on cheeks and forehead, says victim’s aunt

JOHOR BARU: The younger brother of five-year-old Mohammad Dizhwar Dzaky, who died after allegedly being abused by his stepmother, also has bruises on him, according to the boys’ aunt.

Che Nur Syaheeda Che Shaari, 24, said the family noticed bruises on the forehead and cheeks of the boy, aged four, when they met him after receiving news of Mohammad Dizhwar’s death.

“The boy looked frightened and confused with all that was going on around him and there were marks of abuse on his face.

“We have made a police report and my nephew is now being treated at the Sultanah Aminah Hospital and is in the care of his mother and other family members,” she said when contacted yesterday.

She added that the two boys were very close and had always been there for each other.

“It’s too much for a four-year-old to go through and I fear this unfortunate incident would affect him for life,” said Che Nur Syaheeda, who is married to a brother of the boys’ mother.

The elder brother, she added, was buried in Rawang, Selangor, on Thursday morning.

The boy died just after midnight on Wednesday.

Che Nur Syaheeda said the children had a one-year-old stepbrother, who was also admitted to the same hospital to be checked for signs of abuse and would be placed under the care of the Welfare Department pending police investigation on the alleged abuse.

Meanwhile, the boys’ mother, who wanted to be known only as Alissa, 25, said the family had not got over the shock of losing Mohammad Dizhwar.

“We hope that the police will investigate the case and help us find solace,” she said.

Johor Baru (South) deputy OCPD Supt Mohd Afzanizam Yahaya said they received a report on the alleged abuse of the younger brother at about 6pm on Thursday, a day after Mohammad Dizhwar was rushed to the hospital.

Supt Mohd Afzanizam said the younger boy was being attended to by a paediatrician and a psychiatrist in the hospital.

“Early investigation showed that there were wounds on both his cheeks and his forehead,” he said.

The case is being investigated under Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act 2001.

A post-mortem on Mohammad Dizhwar indicated that the fiveyear-old had died of blunt force trauma to the abdomen.

The police have since Thursday remanded his 23-year-old Indonesian stepmother and 33-year-old father, a cook, until Jan 2.