KUALA LUMPUR – Rumah Bonda founder Siti Bainun Ahd Razali today admitted that Bella’s injuries occurred while the teenage girl was at her condominium in Wangsa Maju here.
Siti Bainun, 31, said she had also seen the injuries while Bella lived in the condominium, but denied that she had neglected the teenager, who has Down syndrome, when she was in her care.
Siti Bainun, who was accused of neglecting and abusing the 13-year-old girl, said this during cross-examination by deputy public prosecutor Zahida Zakaria at her defence trial.
Zahida: I suggest all the injuries happened while Bella was in your condominium.
Siti Bainun: Agree.
However, the accused could not confirm if all of Bella’s injuries in the video recorded by the first prosecution witness, Zurianty Sudin in Siti Bainun’s condominium on June 24, 2021 were the same as Bella’s injuries when she arrived at Kuala Lumpur Hospital.
Zurianty in her previous testimony admitted that she had recorded the video to be given to children’s activist and Rumah Bonda adviser, Syed Azmi Alhabshi, as proof that there was abuse against the teenage girl.
Questioned by another deputy public prosecutor Zilfinaz Abbas, Siti Bainun said she never left her children including Bella without adult supervision if she went out because a former resident of the house Yasmin Nahar Mahmood, the fifth prosecution witness, would be in the condominium.
Zilfinaz: The adult you mean is Yasmin and how old is she?
Siti Bainun: Yes, Yasmin is 18-years-old.
The accused disagreed with Zilfinaz’s suggestion that Yasmin did not have the skills and qualifications to take care of children with Down syndrome.
The woman also denied that she had failed to take care of Bella even though she had no training nor attended workshops on caring for children with Down syndrome.
However, Siti Bainun agreed with Zilfinaz’s suggestion that children with Down syndrome need more attention than normal children.
Siti Bainun is charged with neglecting and abusing the teenager, causing the victim to suffer physical and emotional injuries, in a condominium unit in Wangsa Maju between February and June 2021 under Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act 2001 – which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison or a fine of RM50,000 or both, if convicted.
The trial before judge Izralizam Sanusi resumes tomorrow. – Bernama, February 23, 2023
