(UPDATED) Counselling services for 11-year old shoolgirl who was said to been abused by her stepmother

KUCHING, Feb 9 2026:The Social Welfare Department  (JKM) has sent counselling services to help an 11-year old schoolgirl, who was alleged to have been abused by her stepmother mother in Saratok, last week. 

Caption: Minister of Women, Family and Community Development Nancy Shukri 

Minister of Women, Family and Community Development Nancy Shukri said the move was aimed at providing protection and emotional support to victim who is still traumatised by the incident.

She said the girl is under the protection of  JKM, adding that the JKM protection officers  have  been mobilized and are now with the victim who is receiving  treatment at the Sarikei Hospital.

"The victim is not allowed to receive any visits for her safety and well-being," Nancy said when  asked to comment on the abuse case of an 11-year-old girl who was believed to have been abused by her stepmother in Saratok, last Thursday.

A 47-year-old suspect has been detained by the police to assist in the investigation.

 Saratok police have arrested a local woman on suspicion of abusing her adopted child to the point of causing physical injury.

The woman is believed to have committed the offence in Taman Kim Hin, last Thursday.

According to a statement by Saratok District police chief, DSP Mathew Manggie, his department received a report from the complainant, who is also the child's biological mother, on Saturday.

“The complainant received a WhatsApp message from the victim's school teacher, who is a neighbour of the victim, which is a video containing voice and sound, “ the police chief said in a statement.

“In the video, the victim's voice can be heard crying after being beaten by her adoptive mother using a hard object,” he said.

Investigations found that the reason the suspect beat the victim was related to the equipment she had to bring to go to tuition.

The 11-year-old victim also said that she had been beaten by the suspect frequently for the past year.

Initial examinations by Saratok Hospital and Sarikei Hospital Medical Officers found that the victim's injuries were “soft tissue injuries over the back and face”.

The suspect is now being remanded for four days starting yesterday, and the case is being investigated under Section 31(1)(a) of the Children's Act 2001.