Caregiver loses appeal against three-year jail term for abusing disabled boy
KUALA LUMPUR: A 5-year-old disabled boy who was slapped, kicked and forced to walk with his leg in a cast was so traumatised by his caregiver that he refused to look at her in court.
In a Kuala Terengganu courtroom, a five-year-old disabled boy named Pok Nik appeared visibly distressed when asked to look at his former caregiver, Norafifi Muda. Judge Yusrin Faidz Yusoff noted this emotional trauma while upholding Norafifi's conviction and three-year jail sentence for abusing the boy. The Kuala Terengganu High Court dismissed Norafifi's appeal, rejecting her defense that her actions were merely strict discipline for a difficult child.
Eyewitnesses, including two residents at the care center, provided consistent accounts of the abuse, including repeated slapping, forceful tooth brushing, and physically punishing the boy for his injuries. Medical examinations confirmed old bruises and scars consistent with repeated physical abuse. Norafifi, a healthcare assistant at the center since 2015, was convicted in November last year and ordered to pay a RM5,000 good behavior bond with one surety for three years, complete 180 hours of community service, and post a RM12,000 bail.
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