KUALA LUMPUR: An ex-babysitter, who left a 2-year-old child in a car seat placed in a room unsupervised, which may have caused her death, was fined RM5,000 by the Sessions Court today.
Judge Dr Azrol Abdullah ordered Low Yu Ning, 38, to be placed on a one-year good behaviour bond with a RM2,000 surety and to perform 36-hours of community service within six months.
The court sentenced Low as per a plea bargain reached between the defence and prosecution.
According to the case facts, at 3.56pm on Dec 6, 2021, the city police control centre received a MERS 999 emergency call on the death of a baby, who was found with bruises on her body and a police report was made.
Acting on information, police arrested Low on March 29 last year for further investigations, which revealed that the baby had been put in a car seat which was placed in a room at Low's house.
The accused was found to have placed the baby in the car seat unsupervised which had led to a situation that may have led to her death.
The probe found that Low had babysat the girl at the time of the incident and was responsible for managing her and no one else.
The charge sheet read that Low, as someone responsible for the care of Liew Yin Lun, had deliberately exposed the child to danger as to potentially cause her death.
She committed the offence about 1pm at premises in Jalan Danau Kota off Genting Klang on Dec 6, 2021.
The charge was under Section 31 (1)(a) of the Child Act 2001.
It provides a maximum RM50,000 fine or jail not more than 20 years or both.
Deputy public prosecutor Muhammad Muhairi Mohamed Noh prosecuted.
After proceedings, defence lawyer Kirthen Subramaniam said Low was charged last year and two representations sent to the Attorney-General's Chambers were rejected.
"Initially, she was charged with neglect but after the representations, the charge was amended to exposure to danger.
"The medical report does not show any signs of beating," he said.
Any person convicted under the section is further required to undertake community service for a minimum of 36 hours and a maximum of 240 hours and shall also be subjected to a bond of good behaviour.