SEMPORNA: A toddler has died, allegedly after being abused by his mother's friends at Taman Hatib, here.
During the incident yesterday at about 6.45pm, 20-month-old Muhammad Al Suhaimi Alsarif, succumbed to injuries believed to have been sustained from being slapped, stomped on and thrown against a mattress.
A police report was made which led to the arrest of four foreign women aged between 16 and 19 to assist investigations.
District police chief Superintendan Sabarudin Rahmat added the 23-year-old mother had brought the unconscious child to the Semporna Hospital.
Upon checking, it was found that there were bruises on the boy's right cheek and left thigh.
He added cardiopulmonary resuscitation was performed but the baby was not responding and died hours later.
"According to a witness, a girl was slapping and throwing the baby to a mattress and repeated it until his face hit the bed frame. Another one stomped on the baby's back.
"When the mother returned to the scene, she found that the baby was weak, pale and had no signs of breathing before going to the hospital," he said.
Sabarudin added the mother had been taking care of the child but she was not around when the incident occurred.
"The four women are friends to the mother and stay together at the same house.
"All of them were remanded on the same day (yesterday) at 9.30pm and are being investigated under Section 302 of Penal Code."