Baby Syifa’s Caregiver Jailed One Year, Fined RM15,000

SEREMBAN, March 30 (Bernama) -- The caregiver of Nour Rania Asyifaa Yuseri, known as “Baby Syifa”, was sentenced by the Sessions Court here today to one year’s imprisonment and fined RM15,000 for neglect that resulted in the infant’s death four years ago.

Judge N Kanageswari ordered Khairunnisa Ahmad Damanhuri, 41, to begin serving her prison sentence immediately. In default of payment of the fine, she will serve an additional four months’ imprisonment.

“The accused is further ordered to perform 48 hours of community service within six months of her release and to be bound over for good behaviour for one year in the sum of RM5,000, without surety, with one family member acting as guarantor,” the judge said when delivering the decision.

The prosecution was led by Negeri Sembilan director of public prosecutions Ku Hayati Ku Haron, while the accused was represented by counsel S Kavittha.

Khairunnisa, who had the care of the 15-month-old child, was accused of neglecting the victim in a manner likely to cause physical injury at approximately 12.30 pm at a childcare centre in Bandar Sri Sendayan on Feb 22, 2022.

She was charged under Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act 2001, which provides for a sentence of up to 20 years’ imprisonment, a fine of not more than RM50,000, or both, upon conviction.

On July 31, 2024, the Coroner’s Court ruled that the cause of Baby Syifa’s death, after she was found unconscious in a cradle at a childcare centre in Sendayan in 2022, was due to compression of the neck.

Coroner Datin Surita Budin held that the death was not accidental, but resulted from the infant being left in a suspended position in the cradle by the caregiver.

A total of 28 witnesses, including the victim’s parents, testified during the inquest proceedings, which commenced on Sept 22, 2022.

-- BERNAMA