A WOMAN and her boyfriend have been detained on suspicion of abusing her two sons, aged five and seven years, in a room at a workshop near Permatang Tinggi, Bukit Mertajam, last week.

Seberang Prai Tengah police chief Shafee Abdul Samad said the children’s mother and her male companion were detained in Bukit Mertajam Hospital grounds at 3.20am, yesterday.

“The 28-year-old male suspect, a lorry driver, has been remanded for seven days while the 33-year-old woman, who is a housewife, was released on police bail (as she was pregnant),” he said in a statement today.

Shafee said a police report was lodged by the victims’ uncle after he found injuries to the boys’ limbs, which he alleged looked as if they had been beaten and suspected abuse.

“Following that, the 39-year-old uncle, who is a logistics executive, took the children for treatment at Bukit Mertajam Hospital prior to the arrests of the two suspects, who wanted to visit the victims.

“However, the two suspects admitted that they had beaten the victims for being naughty and stubborn,” he said.

The victims said they were beaten by both the suspects by using their hands, a stick and a belt, and police found bruises on the boys’ calves, thighs and buttocks.

“Before this, the victims had been living at a Social Welfare Department hostel from December to March this year during the movement control order and were later looked after by their uncle,” he said.

The uncle had left the boys with their mother from June 24 to July 3 because he had to take his mother for a medical appointment and there was no one to look after the boys.

“However, after they returned, their uncle found bruises and suspected they had been abused,” Shafee said.

The case is being investigated under Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act 2001. – Bernama, July 5, 2020.