Vicious stepdad tortures child to death because she pretended to sleep

Whose heart isn't gripped with sadness upon hearing of tragic incidents involving children, especially if it involves being ill-treated by a close, loved one like a stepfather? Recently, another tragic incident of an ill-treated toddler has surfaced, this time in Pontianak, Indonesia. We've also included additional tips regarding step parent abuse signs so that your child remains safe.

The victim was 4-year-old Ainun Mahya, who passed away due to her stepfather’s domestic abuse. The reason? This innocent girl died because she pretended to be sleeping.

According to Detik News, the perpetrator, called Ibrahim Taufik, was angered after finding out that his step-daughter was only pretended to sleep.

Taufik couldn’t accept the feeling that his child had lied to him – so much so that he couldn’t control his emotions.

Upon questioning why she lied to him, the little girl remained quiet. He became so mad that he started torturing her. According to Cucu Safiyudin, the culprit grabbed a pillow and bolster and started hitting Ainun's face.

Meanwhile, Police Commissioner M Husni Ramli, the Pontianak Police Criminal Investigator, explains exactly what happened to the Tribune. "The suspect had instructed the victim to go to sleep. He left the house after seeing his daughter sleep. Upon returning, apparently the suspect realized that his child had only been pretending to fall asleep. "

"After that, the culprit began torturing the child. The suspect confessed that he couldn’t control his emotions as his adopted child lied to him, "he explained.

The toddler was tortured, beaten, and slammed

Not only did the suspect beat the victim with a pillow and bolster, he had also carried the victim and slammed her onto the floor. Her abdomen and upper torso were even repeatedly stepped on by the merciless stepdad.

Appearing dissatisfied, the suspect still continued abusing the girl. He went so far as to strangle her and slam her head onto hard wood, leaving her barely alive. 

Once his wife discovered her daughter in a critical state, she immediately rushed the child to Auri Hospital. There, she was referred to Santo Antoniun Hospital for treatment.

"The culprit’s wife, named Agus Kartina then arrived, immediately bringing the unconscious victim to Auri hospital. There, the victim was referred to St. Anthonius Hospital and treated in the ICU room with intensive care," said Cucu.

Sadly, the little one did not survive her brutal injuries. She breathed her last on Sunday, 5^th August 2018.  The victim's mum immediately reported this incident to the Pontianak Police.

The suspect then admitted his actions. He has also been charged with over five years of imprisonment under Indonesian Law.

The importance of managing your emotions while parenting your kids

The numerous cases of child mistreatment due to emotion alone proves that emotional instability can cause a person to become aggressive, attacking others and even going so far as murdering them.

For that reason, psychologists always emphasize the importance of managing your emotions well so that your children can grow up with stable behaviour.

Besides that, it is of unrivalled importance to become a good role model for their kids. The reason being that your child’s emotional stability while behaving is greatly influenced by environmental factors in forming his character.

In short, the biggest influence comes from family. Everyone’s character develops from home. Parents, have you become a good role model and taught your kids how to manage their emotions?

How a parent acts or their attitude towards a child tells a lot. Sometimes, they can even be warning signs of child abuse. Some step parent abuse signs (or any parent, in general) to watch out for include that he or she:

• doesn't care for, or appears indifferent towards the child 
• are unable to acknowledge if your child is suffering physically or emotionally
• faults the child for everything 
• Always trivialises or scolds your child without change, and calls them using pessimistic words like “worthless” or “evil”
• assumes that your child will be attentive towards and care for him. He might also appear jealous if family members receive the child’s attention.
• doesn’t hesitate to punish or discipline the child by in cruel, physical ways 
• has unrealistic expectations of the child’s physical growth or school grades
• imposes heavy restrictions on whom the child can contact
• gives an unlikely or contradictory explanation as to how the child got injured, or remains completely silent about the child’s injuries.

Remember, parents. Disciplining your child is fine. But using physical violence – like slapping or hitting could leave scars emotionally. Any parent that disciplines or teaches their children but produces pain, physical wounds or emotional damage – can also be classified as a child abuser.