We can’t deny that the world has become much safer than it was in the past. However, sometimes, danger pounces on you in unexpected situations and places. Take the recent case in a Malaysian supermarket, where a mentally ill woman was violently torturing babies and young children.
Woman begins torturing babies and kids out of the blue
It was any normal day for Zairi Yusoh, a 36-year-old father in Malaysia. He was buying groceries with Nur Damia Qistina, his five-year-old daughter, and Nur Elisya Zaidi, his niece, aged two.
Zairi left his daughter and niece to play by themselves while he was eating a meal in a food court close by. However, suddenly, Nur Damia began shouting.
Hurrying towards the scream, Zairi said he “found an unknown woman lunging at them”.
As he tried to get the woman away from the children, the stranger violently jerked Nur Damia’s hair. She pulled so hard that some of the five-year-old’s hair got torn out.
Then, a scuffle broke out. The woman even kicked two-year-old Nur Elisya at her stomach. Fortunately, good samaritans nearby ran to their aid.
Police arrest the mentally ill woman who was torturing babies and kids
Later, Zairi found out that the attacker, who was just entering her 20s, was actually mentally ill.
In fact, according to Zairi, the woman’s father was eating in the same food court as he was.
“As a parent, he should have monitored his daughter’s actions, especially since she is mentally ill. What’s worse is that the man did not even apologise despite witnessing the entire incident unfold,” he said.
Eventually, people in the public rang 999. The police arrived and detained the perpetrator, and within the hour, Zairi reported the incident to the police.
Superintendent Haslah Bachok, the local police chief, verified that the violent episode did happen. He added that, in the end, the mentally ill woman was sent to hospital.
Stranger danger tips
Parents, be sure to teach your kids how to respond should the ever run into a violent stranger. Here are two simple and easy ways to do that:
No, go, yell, tell
Tell your child its okay to yell and run if they meet dangerous strangers. | Image Source: Stock Photo
This method work for any stranger who interacts with a child inappropriately, which can be:
- asking your child to accompany them somewhere
- telling your child to disobey you,
- touching your child in their private areas
- violently attacking your child
- or even just making your child feel uncomfortable in any way
It’s simple. The phrase is short message, meaning that if your child encounters a stranger, they should say NO, go and run away, yell as loud as he can, and tell a trusted adult about what happened. Remember, tell them it’s okay to run and shout if they meet a dangerous stranger.
Teach them to approach people who can help
Another thing you can do if you’re not nearby is to teach your kid to search for people who can help. Some good places to start are police officers, firefighters, and teachers. Here are some more things you can do:
- while outdoors, point towards your kids who are people they can trust for help, e.g., policemen.bring your kids to places where they can ask for help. That might mean community centres, trusted local stores or the houses of family friends close by.
- Ensure that your kid doesn’t travel outdoors alone. Always have a trusted adult to accompany them, or apply the buddy system.
- show your children where the information counter is in a shopping mall. Tell your kid to always meet up there if they ever find themselves lost.
- Be aware of your child’s location. If they’re old enough to use a phone, teach them to memorise your phone number and emergency phone numbers (emergency services) should they need to contact you.
Parents, we hope this article about the mentally ill woman torturing babies was helpful in keeping your kids safe. Note that all images used are for illustration purposes only.
References: New Straits Times
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So you think your kid knows ‘stranger danger’?
Teach your child about stranger safety
