A mother, stepfather and two others face murder charges for the death of an eight-year-old girl in Taiping, with the case set for mention in May.
TAIPING: Four family members, including the girl’s biological mother, were charged in the Magistrate’s Court here with murder.
The accused are M. Savathri, 28, her husband and the victim’s stepfather M. Satis Kumar, 27, the victim’s stepmother S.C. Veeraletchumy, 53, and stepfather M. Murali, 49.
All four nodded after the charges were read separately before Magistrate R. Prabakaran.
No plea was recorded as murder cases are under High Court jurisdiction.
They are jointly accused of causing the death of eight-year-old Thanavitha at a house in Taman Sungai Mas on the morning of March 26.
The charge under Section 302 of the Penal Code carries the death penalty or 30 to 40 years’ imprisonment and at least 12 strokes of the cane.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Farihah Adilah Faizal conducted the prosecution.
The accused were unrepresented, while lawyers M. Dinesh, G. Devaneson and Low Tze Ken held a watching brief for the victim’s family.
Family members who had cared for the child since she was six months old were present in court.
The court set May 15 for mention pending DNA, forensic and post-mortem reports.