Tuition teacher pleads not guilty to abusing 4yo girl with autism in Kuching

The court complex in Kuching.

By Dorcas Ting

KUCHING, Oct 14: A tuition teacher pleaded not guilty today in the Kuching Magistrate’s Court to a charge of abusing a 4-year-old girl with autism.

The accused denied the charge framed under Section 323 of the Penal Code, which relates to voluntarily causing hurt. If convicted, she faces up to one year of imprisonment, a fine of up to RM2,000, or both.

According to the charge sheet, the incident occurred at around 4pm on June 18, 2024, at a centre dedicated to guiding and assisting children with special needs.

The court set Nov 18 for pre-trial case management before Magistrate Ling Hui Chuan.

In a previous report, the victim’s mother said that her daughter attended the centre for after-school care and additional learning support. On June 18, while picking up her daughter, the teacher mentioned the child had fallen. However, once in the car, the child began crying.

After removing her daughter’s face mask, the mother noticed swollen cheeks. Concerned, she contacted the centre and requested the CCTV footage, which allegedly revealed physical assault, showing her daughter getting hit, having her hair pulled, and being roughly treated.

The accused is represented by counsel from Messrs Zahara & Associates, while the victim’s family has engaged Russell Lim as watching brief counsel for the case. — DayakDaily