Single Mother Acquitted of Murdering Six-Year-Old Daughter
By Subaashinee Kupusamy,
11 OCTOBER: A 39-year-old woman, A. Mariyammah, was acquitted and discharged by the High Court for the alleged murder of her six-year-old daughter. Judge Rohani Ismail ruled that the prosecution failed to establish a prima facie case against the accused, leading to her acquittal without the need for her defense.
Mariyammah had been accused of murdering her daughter in an apartment in Senawang between 5:30 pm and 6:30 pm on September 5, 2020. She was charged under Section 302 of the Penal Code, which carries a death sentence or imprisonment of 30 to 40 years, along with whipping, upon conviction.
In her decision, Judge Rohani stated, “After reviewing the evidence, the court finds that the prosecution has not made out a prima facie case against the accused. Therefore, I acquit and discharge her of the charge.”
The case details revealed that the child was found unconscious when Mariyammah returned home, where she was living with her brother and sister-in-law. She rushed her daughter to Tuanku Ja’afar Hospital, but the child was pronounced dead upon arrival. A post-mortem examination revealed that the victim had been raped and sodomized, with signs of old injuries and swelling on her body. The official cause of death was determined to be blunt force trauma to the head and kidney infection. The court was also informed of prior abuse allegations against Mariyammah dating back to 2019.
Outside the court, a relieved Mariyammah expressed her gratitude. “I am so happy because I did not commit the murder. Now, I’m heading to the Welfare Department to reunite with my two other children, who have been in their care for the past four years.”
Mariyammah was represented by lawyers Paul Krishnarajah and Amy Chong, while Syamimi Farhana Muhammad A. Aziz prosecuted the case as stated in The Star.
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