BATU PAHAT: Police are now investigating the parents of a six-year-old boy who was injured after his throat was slashed at his house in Parit Raja here yesterday morning.
The boy’s parents, both aged 41, were arrested at the district police headquarters at 4pm today to assist in the probe.
District police chief Assistant Commissioner Shahrulanuar Mushaddat Abdullah said police will seek a remand order for the couple at the Batu Pahat magistrate’s court at 9am tomorrow.
He said the pair have yet to fully cooperate with the investigation or reveal the true circumstances surrounding the incident.
“Both parents are the child’s biological parents.
“However, they have not been fully forthcoming with investigators about what actually happened,” he told the New Straits Times.
The NST learnt that the boy has a nine-year-old sibling, and police are also keen to record the child’s statement.
Yesterday, the boy’s mother lodged a police report claiming she woke up at 5.30am to find a slash wound on the right side of her son’s neck, believed to have been caused by a knife.
The boy is reported to be in stable condition and able to speak.
According to reliable police sources, the pair may have allegedly misled investigators in the initial stages of the probe, in what appears to be an attempt to shield a minor family member allegedly linked to the assault.
Shahrulanuar declined to elaborate further on the arrests, saying it could hamper investigations.
He said the couple were arrested to facilitate investigations under Section 326 of the Penal Code for voluntarily causing grievous hurt with a dangerous weapon.
They will also be investigated under Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act 2001 for neglect.
“The investigation also covers possible elements of child neglect that may have caused physical or emotional harm,” Shahrulanuar said.
The boy, who underwent neck surgery at Sultanah Nora Ismail Hospital (HSNI), is reported to be in stable condition and remains under close medical observation.
Police are expected to record additional statements from family members as they work to establish the true sequence of events leading to the brutal incident.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
