A babysitter pleaded not guilty in the George Town Sessions Court in Penang today to a charge of child neglect involving a 13-month-old boy under her care.
Noraidah Khairuddin, 44, entered the plea after the charge was read out before Judge Irwan Suainbon, Free Malaysia Today reported.
“I plead not guilty because I did not do anything to him,” she told the court, according to Malay Mail.
According to the charge, Noraidah, as a person having custody of the toddler, was accused of exposing him in a manner that could have caused his death at a house in Taman Desa Mawar, Lintang Kampung Melayu 2, Air Itam, at 2pm on 8 September.
She was charged under Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act 2001, which covers any person who, having custody of a child, exposes or abandons the child in a manner likely to cause the child unnecessary physical or mental suffering.
Deputy public prosecutor M Darrshini offered bail of RM20,000 with one surety, along with conditions that the accused report to a nearby police station on the first of every month and refrain from contacting the prosecution witnesses.
Naqieya Zulkernain, a lawyer from the National Legal Aid Foundation who represented Noraidah, sought a reduction in bail on the grounds that her client is a housewife who depends on her husband, has no fixed income, and that they have three children.
The court granted bail of RM8,000 with one surety, along with the additional conditions requested by the prosecution, and fixed 16 November for case mention pending the post-mortem report.
On 10 September, police detained Noraidah and the boy’s mother to assist investigations after the child was found unconscious at the babysitter’s home in Air Itam. The post-mortem was conducted the following day, with the cause of death still pending laboratory analysis, according to a Bernama report. The babysitter was placed under remand for seven days while the boy’s mother was remanded for three days.
The case is being investigated under Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act 2001. If convicted, Noraidah faces a maximum fine of RM50,000 or imprisonment of up to 20 years, or both.
