JOHOR BARU: A four-year-old boy died on Monday in a suspected child abuse case in Senggarang, Batu Pahat.
Johor police chief Datuk Kamarul Zaman Mamat said police received a report from a 23-year-old man who said the victim fainted in his house and was taken to a nearby clinic for treatment at 6.45pm on Friday.
"Acting on information received, a team from the Batu Pahat police's Criminal Investigations Department apprehended two men and three women, aged between 15 and 37, between 12pm and 9.45pm on Saturday.
"We believe they were involved in the incident of abusing the victim which led to the victim's death.
"Initial investigation revealed that the victim was being cared for by his sister after their parents were jailed for drug offences. However, the victim was then handed over to the sister's friend for care," said Kamarul in a statement.
Kamarul said police had seized a mobile phone charger, a pillowcase, a bed-sheet, a metal rod measuring 29 inches, a clothes hangar, a fan cover and a motorcycle stand suspected of being used in abusing the victim.
The victim, who has been receiving treatment at the Sultan Ismail Hospital (HSI) here since last Friday, died yesterday evening.
"Initially, the case was investigated under Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act 2001, however, police have reclassified the case due to the death of the victim under Section 302 of the Penal Code (for murder)," he said.
Kamarul said all the suspects including the victim's sister, the sister's friend and the complainant have been remanded for seven days from Sunday until Dec 31.