JOHOR BARU: A former babysitter, Nurul Shahira A’shiqin Sulaiman, 28, has been fined RM40,000 by the Session Court for two charges of acting negligently, potentially causing physical injury to two babies at a childcare centre in Taman Mutiara Rini. Additionally, she has been sentenced to a two-year bond of good behaviour for each charge with a surety of RM20,000 unsecured per charge. The defendant is also required to complete 100 hours of community service within six months of the sentencing. The decision was made by Judge Datuk Che Wan Zaidi Che Wan Ibrahim on Tuesday (Aug 15) after the accused maintained her guilty plea from a previous court session in May.
In his judgment, Che Wan Zaidi stated that the accused acted negligently towards the two vulnerable babies by using force that could potentially cause injury, rather than providing them with the love and care they needed. The judge emphasized that these sentences should serve as a lesson to the defendant and other babysitters, in order to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future. He ruled that the accused must pay RM20,000 for each charge and face five months of imprisonment if she fails to do so.
The prosecution in the case was conducted by Deputy Public Prosecutor Nurul Syafiqah Sha’ari, while the accused was represented by Syufri A. Samad. Syufri, in his mitigation plea, mentioned that the accused has regretted her actions and fully cooperated throughout the proceedings. He also pointed out that video footage of her actions had gone viral on social media, resulting in harsh remarks and negative comments from the public. The defendant, who is currently unemployed, is being supported by her husband, a factory worker earning a monthly salary of RM2,000.
On May 21, Nurul was charged with two counts of negligence that could have caused physical injuries to an 11-month-old baby girl and a nine-month-old baby boy. The incident allegedly took place on Jalan Utama 34 in Taman Mutiara Rini at 1pm in March. According to Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act 2001, she could face a maximum jail term of 20 years or a fine of up to RM50,000, or both, upon conviction. The court granted her bail at RM8,000 for each charge with one surety.
Videos showing her mistreatment of the infants went viral on social media on May 15. The clips depicted her screaming, spitting, and hitting a crying baby, as well as handling an infant roughly while it cried loudly.
Credit: The Star : News Feed
