7-year-old abuse case: Neighbours often hear screams, cries

PASIR GUDANG - Neighbours of the 7-year-old boy, a victim of abuse by his biological mother and her partner in the Layangkasa housing area here, often hear the screams and cries of the child almost every day.

According to a neighbor named Hassan, 23, the screams and cries of the child are not only heard during the daytime but also at night.

The father of three said that this situation has raised suspicions among neighbours that the young boy is being abused by his mother and her masculine-looking (tomboy) woman partner.

"When we couldn't bear to hear the screams and cries of the young boy anymore, we went to his house to find out what was happening. Unfortunately, his mother refused to bring him out when we wanted to see him.

We have gone to this child's house several times.Once, his mother took him to the back of the house and didn't want to show him to us but once when pressured, she brought him out but she covered his face.

"At that time, we didn't see any signs of abuse. This situation continued, and it became a topic of discussion in our neighbourhood's WhatsApp group, where suspicions grew," he said when met at the housing area today.

Hassan said that the abuse was exposed when neighbours stormed into the house and was shocked to see the child's condition.

He said the boy lived with his mother and her partner, who is believed to be a Singaporean citizen.

"Previously, this child ran away from home to a nearby area before residents found him and brought him back home. Maybe it was because he couldn't endure the abuse.

"This child also doesn't go to school because I often see him sitting by the fence in the morning when I'm going to work. We've never seen his father," he said.

He mentioned that the boy is currently being treated at Hospital Sultan Ismail (HSI) in Johor Bahru while the biological mother and her partner are still under police investigation.

A neighbour living in front of the victim's house, known only as Nazri, 40, said that residents had reported the matter twice to the Seri Alam District Police Headquarters as they were convinced the boy was being abused.

"One of my neighbours made the second police report on Friday before the police came to investigate and confirmed that abuse had indeed occurred.

"As neighbours, we can't bear to listen to the abuse of this young boy anymore," he said.

On Saturday, Johor Police Chief, Datuk Kamarul Zaman Mamat, announced that the local 27-year-old victim's biological mother and a 30-year-old foreign woman, were arrested around 12.30am on Friday.

Earlier, two video clips, each lasting 24 and 32 seconds, respectively, were uploaded on Twitter at 6.02pm yesterday by a user named Cikgu Suraya.

The videos showed several individuals believed to be neighbours in the housing area, gathered in front of the house, urging for the young boy to be brought out.

Another 32-second video clip shows the young boy with injuries on his back, including blisters and holes believed to be a result of abuse.

These video clips also circulated on the Layangkasa Facebook page, sparking various reactions from netizens.