A 39-Year-Old step-grandmother is expected to be charged with the murder of her 16-month-old granddaughter in Kota Tinggi after a post-mortem found that the toddler died from blunt-force trauma to the abdomen and chest.
The baby girl had been living with her step-grandmother and grandfather in Taman Sri Saujana in Johor Bharu since birth, while her 18-year-old biological mother was studying at a vocational college in Johor.
Johor police chief Datuk Ab Rahaman Arsad said police received a report at about 9.30am on July 31 from the step-grandmother, who claimed she found the baby unresponsive while she was sleeping at the house.
He said the woman, a housewife, had attempted to wake the toddler but received no response.
“The medical personnel who were called to the scene attempted to perform CPR on the baby, but she was pronounced dead at the scene at 10.30am the same day.”
The case was initially investigated under Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act 2001 for neglect resulting in death.
However, a post-mortem conducted at Pasir Gudang Hospital on Aug 2 found that the toddler had died from blunt-force trauma to the abdomen and chest.
“There were also wounds and bruises on the baby’s body, believed to have been caused by abuse that resulted in her death,” he said.
Following the findings, police reclassified the case under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder and arrested the step-grandmother, grandfather and the victim’s mother to assist in the investigation.
Ab Rahaman said all three suspects had been remanded from Aug 2, while the completed investigation papers were referred to the Johor State Prosecution Office yesterday.
“We have received instructions to charge the victim’s step-grandmother under Section 302 of the Penal Code at the Kota Tinggi Magistrates’ Court tomorrow.”
The grandfather and the victim’s mother have since been released on bail under Section 118 of the Criminal Procedure Code and will be called as prosecution witnesses. - August 11, 2026
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