GEORGE TOWN: A 28-year-old mother and two other family members stayed calm as they were charged at two separate Sessions Courts here with abusing two young children – a five-year-old girl and a three-year-old boy.

       As the court interpreters (in the two courtrooms) read the charges to them in Mandarin, they nodded that they understood the charges.

       The children’s mother, their 52-year-old grandaunt and 42-year-old man believed to be a family friend, claimed trial to the charges, with one charge for each child.

       The mother, a helper at an eatery, was the first to claim trial before judge Mazdi Abdul Hamid.

       She pleaded not guilty to two charges of neglect and abuse resulting in injury between May 13 and 27 at the Rifle Range flats here.

       The charges were framed under Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act 2001 for neglect and abuse, which provides for a maximum fine of RM50,000, a maximum 20-year prison term or both if found guilty.

       The mother was unrepresented while DPP Wan Amira Ruzaini Wan Abdul Razak prosecuted.

       Mazdi set bail at RM10,000 with one surety for both charges, with conditions that she surrenders her passport to the court and is not allowed to disturb or harass the victims and witnesses in the case until the trial is over.

       The judge also told the mother to report at the nearest police station once a month.

       Mazdi set July 6 for case mention and submission of the medical report.

       In a separate courtroom before judge Norsalha Hamzah, the grandaunt and the man, who both allegedly babysat the two children, faced two charges each for the same reason.They are charged with abusing the two children between May 13 and 27 as caretakers of the children at the same Rifle Range flats here.

       Both of them were unrepresented but individually pleaded not guilty to the charges.

       They were charged under the same Act for negligence and abuse resulting in injury.

       DPP Muhammad Shahrezal Mohd Shukri originally did not offer either accused bail but the grandaunt pleaded with the court as she said she had a schoolgoing child and only worked as a kitchen helper washing dishes, earning around RM70 a day.

       The man pleaded for bail as well, saying he worked as a durian stall helper and only earned RM20 a day.

       Norsalha set bail at RM12,000 each, with one surety, per person.

       They were also not allowed to disturb or harass the victims and witnesses in the case.

       “You are to check in at the nearest police station once a month until the case is over,” she said before setting July 4 for case mention.