Mother said 5-year-old boy’s “attitude” made her scald him

In a case that makes us glad here at Alvinology that the death penalty exists in Singapore, the mother who is accused of murdering her 5-year-old son through systematic and continuous abuse said that she would not have thrown cups of hot water on him if he did not give her “attitude.”

The latest report from the ongoing trial of parents Azlin Arujunah and Ridzuan Mega Abdul Rahman, both 27, shed light on their reasons behind the numerous injuries that allegedly eventually killed their 5-year-old son while under their care.

What happened to the 5-year-old boy?

According to a report from The Straits Times, a statement taken from Arujunah three days after her son died in the hospital for burns and other injuries four years ago said that she could not harm the boy because she had a slight frame and small body.

The same statement also said that, “I do not have the intention to pour the hot water on him if he did not show any attitude towards me.”

The same report said that the boy, who was 1.05 meters tall at the time of his death in October 2016, was allegedly put in a cage meant for pets, measuring 91cm long, 58cm wide and 70cm tall.

Other abuses that the boy allegedly went through were being hit with objects such as a broom and a hanger, being pinched with pliers, and finally scalded with cups of hot water.

The hot water burned 70 percent of his body, but the couple allegedly waited for six hours before they took him to the hospital. The Straits Times said the couple were scared to get in trouble, which was what caused the delay.

Both the mother and father have been charged with murder with common intention, and are candidates for the death penalty if proven guilty. ” They are also facing charges relating to the ill-treatment of the child and voluntarily causing hurt by means of a heated substance.” said reports.

Fostered out then returned to awful parents

The boy was fostered out at birth, then returned to his parents after a few years. He then lived with his parents and other siblings in a one-room flat in Toa Payoh.

He was beaten with a broom when his mother found that he scattered biscuits on the floor. The week that he died in October 2016 saw him scalded with hot water on four separate occasions. He also sustained blunt injuries to his head when his father allegedly hit him with a broom because of refusing to take off his shorts to take a shower.

Aside from the actual injuries, the boy was also found to be severely anemic, which implied prolonged blood loss. The boy was taken to  KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital with low blood pressure and low body temperature. It did not take long for him to pass away, which alarmed hospital staff, especially the nurses.

The boy’s condition was so harrowing that the staff needed counseling after caring for the child.

Mother and father’s defense

As the trial continues, both the mother and the father are having their say on the death f their child, defending their actions. In a report by the Straits Times, the mother said the following:

“If I had the intention of killing him, I would have killed my other children as well. But all my other children are safe and I do not beat them,” she said. “As a mother, I would not have the heart to kill my own child.”

“I only wanted him to learn his lesson,” she also. “Why would I want to do this to (him) when I have never beaten the other children? After all, he is also my son.”