IPOH: A teacher from a local kindergarten has been charged at the Magistrate’s Court in Ipoh following the tragic incident where a four-year-old boy drowned in a swimming pool and passed away five days later. The accused, SP Esther Christina, aged 58, pleaded not guilty to the charge under Section 33(1)(a) of the Child Act 2001 during the court session held on Wednesday (July 12).
The prosecution alleges that Esther Christina, who was responsible for the boy at that time, left him unsupervised for an unreasonable amount of time at a swimming pool located in Bandar Baru Sri Klebang around 10.20 am on April 17.
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If convicted, Esther Christina may face a maximum prison sentence of five years, a fine not exceeding RM20,000, or both penalties.
During a press conference on April 23, the mother of the deceased four-year-old boy, D Nilaveni, age 40, accused the kindergarten’s management of negligence.
According to D Nilaveni, her son, V Thanes Nair, tragically lost his life on April 23 at around 10.35 am in Hospital Raja Permaisuri Bainun, where he was admitted on the same day as the incident.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Nor Syahirah Azahar proposed a bail amount of RM6,000.
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In defense of Esther Christina, her lawyer Gary Xavier mentioned that the accused is a single mother who recently lost her husband three months ago. He highlighted that she earns a monthly income of approximately RM2,200 and is responsible for taking care of her 80-year-old mother. Xavier further emphasized that his client has been cooperative with the police throughout the investigation and poses no flight risk. As a result, he requested the bail amount to be reduced to RM2,000.
Magistrate Jesseca granted bail at RM2,500 with one surety and scheduled the case for mention on August 23.
Credit: The Star : News Feed
