BESUT, June 29 — The five-year-old boy who died early yesterday morning was found to have suffered intestinal perforation from blunt trauma, believed to have been abused.

Besut district police chief Supt Mohd Zamri Mohd Rawi said the matter was confirmed after a post mortem was conducted on the body of Muhammad Hairi Amsyar Abdul Rahman.

He said the forensic report also stated that the inflammation of the peritoneum was from blunt force trauma to the victim’s lower back.

The injuries were the results of being battered and not due to a motorcycle accident as claimed by the suspect who is also the child’s stepfather,” he told reporters here today.

The victim was found with old and fresh wounds on his abdomen when he was brought to Besut Hospital Emergency Unit by the suspect at 3.30am yesterday, but was confirmed to have died.

The suspect had earlier claimed that the boy was injured when they both fell off a motorcycle.

Mohd Zamri added that the stepfather was being detained to facilitate investigations. — Bernama