Baby Syifa's death caused by compression of the neck - Coroner

SEREMBAN - The Coroner's Court here has ruled that the cause of death of Nour Rania Asyifaa Yuseri, also known as 'Baby Syifa,' who was found unresponsive in a cloth cradle at a daycare two years ago, was due to neck compression.

Coroner Datin Surita Budin, while delivering the verdict, stated that the 15-month-old toddler's death was neither an accident nor mishap but resulted from being left hanging in the cloth cradle by the babysitter.

"Her death was caused by compression of the neck consistent with the weight of the toddler when her neck became entangled in the cradle's fabric.

"For this inquest, I am satisfied that, on the balance of probabilities and based on the witnesses’ testimony, the death was neither an accident nor a mishap."

"However, there is strong evidence indicating that the death occurred due to the actions of S19 (the babysitter), who left the toddler unattended in the cradle without appropriate supervision," she said.

A total of 28 witnesses were called during the inquest, which began on Sept 22, 2022. The case was managed by inquest officer Zahida Zakaria and the victim’s family lawyer, Gaithri Thomas.

Also present in court today were the toddler's parents, Yuseri Yusoff and Anida Idrus.

The Coroner addressed the question of whether the death was caused by strangulation, which had been addressed by the 18th witness, a forensic expert, who explained that if Baby Syifa had been strangled, there would be round bruising resembling fingertip marks.

"There are no fractures in the neck bones or cartilage and no muscle bleeding in the neck. This indicates that there was no significant force applied to the neck. There are also no signs of abuse such as bruises on the body or bone fractures," she said, adding that the forensic evidence and report were accepted by the court as substantial evidence.

Regarding the possibility of a third party being present at the daycare, Surita stated that the court cannot make decisions based solely on speculation.

She concluded that based on the witnesses’ testimony, evidence, and simulations presented, the court determined that the cause of death was due to neck compression, as a result of being entangled and left hanging in the narrow cradle.

Surita noted that the 19th witness (the babysitter) admitted to leaving the deceased unattended for two hours in a room with two other sleeping infants.

"Failure to monitor and provide adequate supervision constituted negligence or abandonment that led to the death. The witness also acknowledged placing and leaving the toddler in the cloth cradle despite knowing it was unsafe and not permitted at the daycare.

"The witness left the toddler and the two other babies in a completely closed room, knowing it was narrow and difficult to open. The witness was negligent in failing to inform and of concealing facts from the 23rd witness regarding the use of cloth cradles during desperate times in the daycare," she said.

She added that the 19th witness also admitted to hooking the cradle fabric on both sides to prevent the toddler from falling out, which restricted her movement and reduced the chances of escaping if entangled.

"The witness also failed to ensure the safety of the toddler by using a damaged cradle spring, by securing it with a cloth diaper and raffia string. Furthermore, the fabric of the cradle was worn out and torn," she said. - BERNAMA