An Ex-Police Volunteer And His Wife Have Been Arrested For Abusing Their Son For Two Years
The case came to light after a neighbour saw blood coming out the back of the boy's T-shirt.
By Alyssa J. Oon — 21 Feb 2019, 12:50 PM
On Tuesday, 19 February, police in Johor Bahru arrested the stepfather and mother of a 12-year-old boy who suffered abuse at their hands for the last two years
Johor Bahru Selatan (JBS) district police chief Asst Comm Shahurinain Jais told New Straits Times that they arrested "a 29-year-old local man who is also the victim's stepfather and a 38-year-old foreign woman who is the victim's mother".
Johor Bahru Selatan (JBS) district police chief Asst Comm Shahurinain Jais.
Image via Hairul Anuar Rahim/NSTPThe arrest was made at a house in Taman Bayu Puteri, Johor.
"Based on interrogation, the husband and wife duo admitted to having abused the boy over the past two years," he added.
The couple have two more children, aged one and three years.
The case came to light after a neighbour saw blood coming out the back of the boy's T-shirt
According to The Star, the boy had bruises all over his body, with cuts on his back and a mark on his left cheek, believed to have been caused by constant abuse.
Warning: the following image contains imagery that may be distressing to some people.
The neighbour lodged a police report on Tuesday, which led to the arrest.
As part of the investigation, police seized several items from the house which are believed to have been used to abuse the boy
The items included a black-coloured microphone wire, a rotan, and a green-coloured hanger.
It was also found that the 12-year-old was not registered at birth, and therefore did not have a MyKid.
"The victim does not have any documentation since he was born, which is why he never went to school," said ACP Shahurinain, as reported by The Star.
Photos that have gone viral on Facebook showed the stepfather in a police vest, but police have clarified that it is an old photo
"The picture that had gone viral on Facebook showing the suspect wearing a police vest while sitting on a motorcycle is an old picture when he was still a volunteer. His service as a volunteer was terminated in 2013," said ACP Shahurinain.
He added, in the New Straits Times report, that, "Investigations also found that the male suspect who is a bus driver in Singapore had once been a police volunteer at the Puchong Jaya police station in Selangor, while the wife is an online food seller."
Police are urging the public who may have information related to the case to step forward
The JBS district police can be contacted at +607-2218999.
According to New Straits Times, the couple have been remanded for seven days beginning yesterday until 26 February to assist in the investigation under Section 31(1) of the Child Act 2001 for abuse.
The 12-year-old boy is currently being treated at Sultanah Aminah Hospital and will be monitored by the hospital's social department officer.