KANOWIT: A 17-month-old baby boy was suspected of having been abused when he was referred to Sibu Hospital from Kanowit Hospital for bleeding in the brain and an eye.
The victim was said to have suffered the injury as a result of falling while climbing a window of his house.
Kanowit District Police chief DSP Tega Bilong said the incident was discovered last Feb 18 by Sibu Hospital as the statement of the victim’s mother contradicted with what actually happened.
“The injuries were noticed when Sibu Hospital scanned the child’s brain on Feb 18. The victim is currently being treated in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the hospital and had undergone brain surgery.
“Examinations indicated bleeding in the brain and eyes may be due to the child having been shaken hard or was abused,” he said in a statement today (Feb 23).
Tega said the hospital had been advised to lodge a police report because the results of the examination showed that there was serious bleeding in the victim’s eyes and brain which was inconsistent with the mother’s previous statement.
“The results of the examination on the victim’s limbs also did not find any other traces of injuries,” he explained.
According to the 28-year-old mother, her son was found unconscious and believed to have fallen while climbing a window at home while they were out buying household necessities.
The victim was rushed to Kanowit Hospital by the parents on a motorcycle on the day of the incident.
“We also learnt that the victim’s grandfather was feeding chickens while the victim’s grandmother was in the house at the time of the incident.
“The grandfather said he heard the sound of things falling and went straight into the house and found the victim in a semi-conscious state.
“The grandmother was said to be holding the victim while waiting for help to arrive,” said Tega.
He also said that the dilapidated home of the family was inhabited by seven persons including the victim’s mother and her two children from a previous marriage.
Both parents of the victim do not have a permanent job.
“So far, no arrests have been. We are waiting for the medical report to be completed to confirm whether the victim’s injuries were due to abuse or otherwise,” Tega added, referring to the case being investigated under Section 31 (1) (a) of the Children Act 2001.
