A MOTHER has been left devastated after her 15-month-old daughter was allegedly abused by a caregiver, with the incident coming to light through closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage recorded at a home in Taman Semarak, Tawau last Thursday.
District police chief Assistant Commissioner Jasmin Hussin said police received a report from the child’s mother after she claimed to have viewed CCTV recordings showing the suspect behaving inappropriately towards the child while under her care.
The suspect, a 57-year-old local woman, had reportedly been regarded as part of the family and had been entrusted with caring for the child for about a year, receiving a monthly payment of RM450.
“The woman said she personally witnessed inappropriate behaviour towards her child through CCTV recordings while she was out at work.
“The footage also showed several other inappropriate actions believed to have taken place while the child was under the suspect’s care,” he said in a statement on Monday.
Following the report lodged at the Tawau police station, a team from the Criminal Investigation Division of the Tawau District Police Headquarters, assisted by officers from the Bombalai police station, launched an operation to locate the suspect.
“Following swift action, the suspect was arrested at about 3.45 pm yesterday in Kampung Pangkalan Asli, Merotai Besar, and brought to the Tawau district police headquarters for further action.
“The case is being investigated under Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act 2001 which covers abuse, neglect or endangerment of a child, as authorities continue their investigation into the incident,” he said. - April 28, 2026
