Suspected child abuse victim buried in Melaka

JASIN, Feb 1 -- The seven-year-old boy who was found drowned in a water tub in his house in Taman Krubong Jaya last Friday was laid to rest at the Padang Lebar Muslim Cemetery, Simpang Bekoh here at about 12.40 pm today.

The body was claimed by his mother’s family at the Melaka Hospital Forensic Medical Department at around 10.05 am and was brought for funeral prayers at Surau Madrasah As Syakirin prior to the funeral ceremony.

The funeral, which was strictly controlled by the police, armed forces and the Civil Defence Force personnel, was attended by members of his biological and adoptive families while members of the press were not allowed to enter the cemetery.

Meanwhile, the child’s adoptive mother Norlida Abu Hassan, 50, when met by reporters said although her adopted son, fondly known as ‘adik’, was not buried in Selangor, her family would still visit his grave.

Earlier, checks by Bernama around the child’s grandfather’s house, located some 600 metres away from the cemetery, found that it was closed without the presence of any family members and only recitation of Al-Quran was heard from the inside.

The boy’s uncle who was met near the residence said the grave has been dug out since yesterday after the family decided to manage the whole funeral process.

Last Friday, the child was found dead in Taman Krubong Jaya here, suspected to have been abused.

The child allegedly drowned in the 4 pm incident, but preliminary investigations found injuries on his body.

The child was cared for by his adoptive family who lives in Rawang, Selangor since he was an infant before his biological mother took him back in October last year.

-- BERNAMA