TAWAU, Feb 12: Police arrested a couple in Kampung Kausing here, last night, after they were believed to have neglected their eight-month-old baby girl, causing injuries to the child.
Tawau district police chief ACP Peter Umbuas said that the 42-year-old male suspect, who worked as a farm labourer, was arrested along with his 21-year-old partner at 7.30 pm to assist in the police investigation.
“On Feb 8, a Tawau Hospital medical officer reported that a baby was admitted to the ward after receiving initial treatment at the Tawau Hospital Emergency Department, and a CT Scan was performed.
“It was found that part of the baby’s brain was bleeding and swollen, apart from physical injuries. The victim’s parents said that the victim had fallen from the cradle in January, due to being rocked too hard and fast by the baby’s mother,” he said in a statement here today.
In the meantime, Peter said that further investigation found that the victim had also suffered serious injuries to several parts of her body, and is currently being treated at Tawau Hospital’s ICU Pediatric Unit.
“The baby, who was born prematurely in June last year, is now being closely monitored and undergoing treatment with respirator and inotrope assistance,” he added.
He added that the two suspects were believed to have deliberately neglected the victim by not taking her for further treatment after she purportedly fell from the cradle.
Meanwhile, Peter said that the couple had been living together since December 2019 and their baby also had an intestinal infection in November last year.
The couple are believed to be illegal immigrants, however further investigations are still underway including identifying citizenship, as they did not have identity documents when detained.
He said the couple was remanded until Feb 18.- Bernama
