TAWAU: A foreigner was arrested on Sunday after allegedly assaulting his nine-year-old stepbrother with a broomstick and threatening to harm his other siblings if their mother left for work.
OCPD ACP Rosdi Mat Jusoh said the suspect, in his 40s, was apprehended at about 2.00 pm in front of an unnumbered house in Kampung Sri Aman.
“He was arrested after police received a report from the victim’s mother. A subsequent check revealed that the man did not possess any valid travel documents,” he stated.
The incident is believed to have occurred around 9.00 am Saturday when the suspect, in a fit of rage, struck his younger stepbrother with a broomstick.
“More alarmingly, the victim is a child aged only nine,” he stressed.
The suspect is also alleged to have threatened to hang the other children in the family if their mother went out to work. According to police, this was not an isolated incident, as the suspect is known to frequently fly into rages, causing deep anxiety among family members over their safety.
The case is being investigated under Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act 2001, Section 506 of the Penal Code, and Section 6(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63.
Rosdi added that police will take firm action against any individual suspected of child abuse or endangering child safety, and assured that the investigation would be conducted thoroughly in accordance with the law.
Those with information relating to the case are urged to contact the Tawau IPD hotline at 089-772121, report via the VSP application, or approach the nearest police station. – James Leong
Rosdi said the suspect, in his 40s, was apprehended at about 2.00 pm in front of an unnumbered house in Kampung Sri Aman.
