KUALA LUMPUR, July 13 — The babysitter suspected of murdering five-month-old Adam Rayqal Mohd Sufi Naeif, who was found stuffed inside a freezer, has pleaded not guilty to abusing and attempting to discard the body earlier this month.
Clad in purple attire, the accused, Noor Aqilah Abd Rahman pleaded not guilty before Judge Syafeera Mohd Said, according to Sinar Harian.
Adam Rayqal was initially believed to have been kidnapped. The babysitter had claimed he had been taken by a man she believed to be the baby’s father.
Investigations led to the baby’s body being found in the freezer compartment of a fridge in the babysitter’s Kampung Nakhoda house at about 11pm on July 3.
A post-mortem at the Kuala Lumpur Hospital revealed that Adam Rayqal had died due to head injuries caused by blunt force trauma.
She was charged under Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act 2001 which provides for a maximum fine of RM50,000 or a jail term of up to 20 years, or both, upon conviction.
Noor Aqilah was also charged with attempting to dispose of the victim’s body with the intention of hiding the crime from the police.
The mother of the deceased was also present with her family during the proceeding.
Lawyer Dinesh Mutal applied for bail with a minimum rate, and had argued that the accused did not have any means of income and that her family has financial problems.
However, Deputy Public Prosecutor Sm Arunjothi objected on the grounds that the case was in the public interest and had attracted public attention.
The court then allowed a bail of RM18,000 with one surety aside from the additional requirement of reporting to the police station twice a month.
Re-mention of the case is set on August 13 for the submission of documents.
