PARIT: A 3-month-old baby was rushed to hospital on Wednesday with a broken right arm in a suspected abuse case.
Authorities at the Seri Manjung Hospital in Lumut determined that the baby’s arm had been twisted, causing it to break.
Following the assessment, the father lodged a police report yesterday and the child's babysitter – a 42-year-old woman from Seri Iskandar – was detained a few hours later.
The incident unfolded when the baby’s father received a call from the babysitter informing him that his son was “crying non-stop.”
The father rushed to the child minder’s house and was shocked to see the condition of his baby’s right arm.
The babysitter's husband informed the father that the child had a "sprained" right arm.
The baby was taken to the Changkat Melintang Hospital, but authorities there referred the baby to the Seri Manjung Hospital.
Meanwhile, the baby’s mother, who wanted only to be known as “Akma,” said it broke her heart to see the condition of her son's arm which was swollen from the wrist to the elbow.
During the incident, Akma said she was at work in Seri Iskandar after sending her son to the babysitter's home with her father-in-law at about 9am.
"It breaks my heart to see our son like this, but for now I do not wish to comment further because it is still under police investigation.
"Although if it is true that there are elements of abuse, I hope there will be justice for my son," he said when met at the Seri Manjung Hospital, here, today.
Perak Tengah district police chief Superintendent Mohamad Zainal Abdullah said the babysitterwill be remanded for four days from today to assist in investigations under Section 325 of the Penal Code for causing serious injury; and Section 31 (1) under the Child Act 2001.