May 19 set for Siti Bainun’s appeal hearing in Bella case

LocalPolitics
21 Feb 2025 • 4:12 PM MYT
Daily Express
Daily Express

Daily Express Online (Malaysia) is Sabah's top-ranked & most viewed English news site. It is also Sabah's leading & most circulated daily English newspaper.

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By: FMT Reporters

PETALING JAYA: The Court of Appeal has set May 19 to hear the appeal of Rumah Bonda founder Siti Bainun Ahd Razali, who was convicted and sentenced to 12 years in jail for the abuse and neglect of Bella, a teenager with Down Syndrome, in 2021.

Bernama reported that the hearing date was fixed by Court of Appeal deputy registrar Noor Firdaus Rosli during a case management session held on Monday.

AdvertisementSiti Bainun’s lawyer, Haijan Omar, confirmed the hearing date.

On May 3, 2023, the sessions court sentenced Siti Bainun to 12 years’ imprisonment after finding her guilty of two charges of neglecting and abusing the 13-year-old girl.

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Siti Bainun, 33, was further directed by the court to perform 200 hours of community service, to be completed within six months of her release from prison.

AdvertisementThe abuse took place at a condominium unit in Wangsa Maju, Kuala Lumpur, between February and June 2021.

Following the conviction, Siti Bainun was sent to Kajang prison after the sessions court rejected her application for a stay of execution.

Advertisement (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});On May 2 last year, the High Court also dismissed her appeal to overturn the conviction and sentence. She then appealed this decision at the Court of Appeal.

The High Court also denied Siti Bainun’s request for a stay of execution of her prison sentence pending the disposal of her appeal at the Court of Appeal.