Rumah Bonda founder's final appeal against 12-year sentence in child abuse case set for August 14
PUTRAJAYA, June 3 — The Court of Appeal has set August 14 to hear the final appeal by the founder of the shelter home, Rumah Bonda, against her conviction and 12-year sentence for the neglect and abuse of Bella, a 13-year-old girl with Down syndrome.
On the same day, the court will also hear Siti Bainun Ahd Razali's application to adduce new evidence in her appeal.
Her lawyer, Haijan Omar, confirmed the hearing date to Bernama following the case management before Court of Appeal deputy registrar Nurul Nadia Azman today.
Siti Bainun, 33, is seeking to adduce fresh evidence in the form of a police report linked to Ismanira Abdul Manaf, the mother of autistic boy, Zayn Rayyan Abdul Matiin, who was reported missing before his body was found at a stream in Damansara Damai in December 2023.
The evidence is based on allegations regarding this case in a police report made by Ismanira on July 25, last year.
Siti Bainun is also seeking permission to summon Ismanira to give further evidence, as well as to allow her to recall a prosecution witness for further examination about the police report.
Ismanira and her husband, Zaim Ikhwan Zahari, are currently on trial in the Petaling Jaya Sessions Court for charges of neglecting their autistic son, with the ruling scheduled on July 21.
On May 3, 2023, the Sessions Court sentenced Siti Bainun to 12 years' imprisonment after finding her guilty of two charges of neglect and abuse of Bella.
The court rejected her application for a stay of execution pending appeal, and she was immediately sent to Kajang Prison to begin serving her sentence.
In addition to her prison term, the court ordered Siti Bainun to sign a five-year good behaviour bond with one surety and a RM5,000 deposit and perform 200 hours of community service within six months of her release from prison. The High Court upheld her conviction and sentence on May 2, 2024.
Siti Bainun was charged with neglect and abuse, causing physical and emotional injury to the victim at a condominium unit in Wangsa Maju between February and June 2021. — Bernama
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