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🇲🇾 Malaysia /Crime & Justice

Indonesian maid jailed 4 years for child neglect leading to drowning

From Utusan Malaysia · () Malay

Translated from Malay, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Outcome reported
  • An Indonesian domestic helper was sentenced to four years in prison for neglecting a two-year-old boy, leading to his death by drowning.
  • The incident occurred on July 28th when the helper left the child and his older brother unsupervised near an adult swimming pool.
  • The court heard that the helper, Wahyuni Tanjung, had only been employed for a month and was aware the children could not swim.

A Malaysian court has sentenced an Indonesian domestic helper to four years in prison for neglecting a two-year-old boy, which resulted in his death by drowning. The incident, which occurred in July, has highlighted the critical need for supervision when children are near water.

The accused, as someone employed by her employer to work and help care for the children, should not have left the victim and his younger brother unsupervised.

— Md Subri Hashim, Deputy Public ProsecutorArguing for a conviction based on the helper's duty of care.

Wahyuni Tanjung, 44, pleaded guilty to the charge of child neglect. The court heard that on July 28th, the victim's mother had asked Tanjung to take her two young sons, aged two years and three months, and five years, to the swimming pool at their Sentul residence. Around 7 p.m., Tanjung contacted the mother to report that the younger child had drowned.

Bystanders attempted CPR before the child was taken to Selayang Hospital and later transferred to the intensive care unit. He was pronounced dead the following morning. An autopsy confirmed drowning as the cause of death. Investigations revealed that Tanjung, who had been working for the family for only a month, took the children to the adult pool without any swimming aids, despite knowing they could not swim. She then left them unsupervised to use the restroom.

Please consider the seriousness of the crime committed, which resulted in the victim's death, who should have had the opportunity to live longer.

— Md Subri Hashim, Deputy Public ProsecutorPlea for a significant sentence due to the gravity of the offense.

During the sentencing, Deputy Public Prosecutor Md Subri Hashim urged the court to impose a fitting punishment, emphasizing the seriousness of the crime and the loss of the child's life. Tanjung, who appeared emotional when shown autopsy photos, did not appeal for a reduced sentence. She informed the court that her husband passed away 14 years ago and she has a son in Indonesia. The court clarified that her sentence must be served in Malaysia as the offense occurred there.

The accused should serve her prison sentence in this country because the offense occurred in Malaysia.

— CourtClarifying the jurisdiction for the sentence.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Utusan Malaysia in Malay. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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