As often happens with the media, we have a real slick erasure of a lot of backstory. "Somebody" granted this UNNAMED DAD custody, and allowed him and the step to torture this child over two years. Obviously, the mother must have had her contact cut off, as she couldn't have "discovered" old scars and signs of malnutrition if she had had contact all along. So "somebody" also allowed the father to shut the mom out--very common with child abusers who like to punish Mom and not get caught. But of course, "somebody" is never named.
http://english.astroawani.com/malaysia-news/child-abuse-father-stepmother-remanded-64150
Child abuse: Father, stepmother remanded
Muhafandi Muhamad, Astro Awani | Updated: June 29, 2015
(First published on: June 29, 2015 13:16 MYT)
PASIR MAS: A husband and wife duo has been brought to face the Magistrates Court today to help facilitate investigations in the case of an abused five-year-old girl.
Pasir Mas Senior Registrar, Rashid Mustafa, ordered the suspects to be remanded for four days beginning today.
The suspects are the victim’s stepmother, 25, and biological father, 39, and were detained at a restaurant in Kota Bharu on Sunday at 9pm.
The two are believed to have been trying to evade authorities following the incident on June 25, 2015.
It was previously reported that Nur Zuliana Zaara had suffered from severe trauma after being made a victim of torture at the hands of her stepmother for the past two years.
She was discovered by her biological mother, Sana Abdul Malek, 28, who found old and new scars on her body. She was also found to be malnourished.
Doctors found a total of 13 broken bones on her body including her backbone, and also fractures on her hips, arms and thighs.
Nur Zuliana is currently being warded at the Raja Perempuan Zainab II Hospital and will undergo surgery today.
The case is being investigated under Section 31 (1) of the Child Act 2001.
The suspects were represented by a lawyer who had filed for a release on bail for the female suspect as she is nursing an 11-month-old baby.