Singaporean Principal Of Childcare Centre In Malaysia Arrested For Allegedly Abusing Autistic Child

A Singaporean woman who works as a principal for a childcare centre in Malaysia is reported to have allegedly abused an autistic child under her care.

According to Ampang Jaya police chief, Mohamad Farouk Eshak, she will be charged with neglecting a child and overstaying. This information was shared in a police statement released on Monday (11 October).

Violence Against Students By Teachers: Childcare Centre Principal Abuses Autistic Child

Image source: Facebook / Tengku Aminuddin Shafiq

The 51-year-old Ms Sharifah Mazlan was the principal of Maikidz Care Centre in Selangor, Malaysia. The childcare centre focuses on children with special needs. There are a total of seven pupils with special needs under the centre’s care.

As per the childcare centre’s website, Ms Sharifah reportedly has 16 years of teaching experience. The centre even offers training for parents and teachers on how to handle children with special needs.

Despite this, the centre was caught up in a case of violence against students by teachers. This was after a parent of a six-year-old boy alleged that the principal abused his son.

In a Facebook post by the concerned father, he wrote that his autistic son is a student at the centre. He also mentioned that the boy would sometimes come home with bruises on his face and body. His initial thought was that these were from his son accidentally bumping into things for being active at the centre.

However, the father later found (on October 1) that the bruises on his son’s back could not have been self-inflicted.

In the photos included in his post, visible marks on the child’s forehead could be seen next to his right eye and on his left shoulder. 

Violence Against Students By Teachers: Security Footage Shows What Happened During The Incident

The boy’s father also uploaded a 47-second clip of security camera footage from the centre that revealed what happened during the incident. 

The video shows a woman trying to feed a pupil who refuses to eat his food. Just then, the woman raises her hand, in response to which the boy immediately shields his face with both his hands. 

When he tries to run away, the woman quickly chases after him and grabs the boy by the arm. It could clearly be seen that she lifts the boy up into the air and drags him back to the table. 

Image source: Screengrab from Facebook / Tengku Aminuddin Shafiq

She then violently slams him into the chair and roughly pushes it forward. This causes the boy to suddenly lurch forward into the table. Afterwards, he is again made to finish his food. 

While the shocking incident was taking place, another woman can be seen in the video casually sweeping the floor and seemingly unaffected by the actions of the two. 

Principal Of Childcare Centre Arrested

Image source: Facebook / Tengku Aminuddin Shafiq

Ms Sharifah was arrested on October 3, in Ampang Jaya, Malaysia. The Malaysian police have completed the investigation and have referred her case to a public prosecutor.

The police added that the centre had an expired licence after operating for seven years. Not only that but, Ms Sharifah was also reported to be an overstayer with an expired social visit pass.

While the childcare centre claims it was run by an eight-person team, the police also found that there were only three employees and Ms Sharifah herself working at the centre.  

Source: The Straits Times

Lead image source from Facebook / Tengku Aminuddin Shafiq.

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