Girl has 13 broken bones after allegedly being abused by stepmother
Five-year-old had been allegedly tortured for two years by her stepmother
Malaysian police have remanded a couple who allegedly abused a five-year-old girl in Kelantan.
The four-day remand order, which was issued by the Pasir Mas Magistrate Courts, took effect on Monday.
The father, 39, and stepmother, 25, were detained by police on Sunday night in front of a restaurant in Kota Baru, following a search for the duo earlier in the week, reported The Star.
The girl had allegedly been abused by her stepmother since 2013 at their home.
Doctors treating the child found that she had 13 broken bones in her body.
Doctors found most of the broken bones on the girls' back. She also had fractures on her hips, arms and thighs.
Raja Perempuan Zainab II hospital director, Dr Ghazali Hasni Md Hassan, said her injuries will be permanent.
"She must have been suffering from severe pain for at least six months due to the multiple fractures," Dr Ghazali said.
He said her thigh bones were also uneven resulting in one being longer than the other.
The girl was also suffering from severe trauma and would take months to recover.
"She is malnourished and has lost 15kg. Her weight is now equivalent to a three-year-old child," he said.
Dr Ghazali said the girl was very weak and would take at least six months to get her strength back.
She has been placed under the care of child specialist, Dr Mariana Daud, who diagnosed her condition as severe.
MOTHER GAVE CUSTODY
The girl's 28-year-old mother handed over the custody of her only child to her ex-husband in 2013 after they divorced.
She claimed that her former husband's new wife called her and said they were unable to take care of the child and wanted her to take her back.
"After I took off her clothes, I saw so many cuts and bruises," she told reporters at the hospital.
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