Stepbrother detained in tragic drowning of 4-year-old in Malaysia

MALAYSIA: A 26-year-old man has been detained in connection with the death of a four-year-old girl who drowned in the swimming pool of the Bangi apartment complex in Selangor earlier this month.

Kajang district Police Chief, Assistant Commissioner Mohd Zaid Hassan, stated that the suspect, who is the stepbrother of the victim, was arrested on Sunday after the police examined closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage at the scene, which also went viral on social media platforms.

In the video, the child was seen descending the pool steps with her float, then it suddenly flipped over, causing her to struggle in the water, and shortly thereafter, her body went limp and was seen floating on the water’s surface.

Moments later, a man believed to be her stepbrother was seen casually approaching the pool without any signs of shock or surprise.

Even more surprisingly, he just stood there sipping his drink, showing no intention of rescuing the child.

“Based on our investigation, we found that the man was near the pool when the incident occurred.

“He appeared to be merely observing as the victim drowned without taking any action to rescue her,” Mohd Zaid said in a statement on Monday (25 Sept) as reported by Malaysia news outlet Majoriti.

The report of the incident was made by medical personnel from Serdang Hospital, Selangor, who treated the victim on 13 September.

The investigation revealed that the victim drowned in the swimming pool at around 3 pm.

She was initially taken to a clinic before being transferred to Serdang Hospital.

“However, she passed away the following day (14 Sept) after receiving treatment, with the case initially classified as a sudden death,” said Mohd Zaid.

He further mentioned that the suspect’s detention was carried out to allow the police to conduct further investigations.

“The case is being investigated under Section 31(1) of the Child Act 2001.

“We urge anyone with information to contact Inspector Muhammad Azrul Nizam Zainal Abidin, the investigating officer, at 016-9985730 or the nearest police station,” he said.

Meanwhile, based on initial information from the public, the incident was noticed by the condominium security guard, who then reported it to the child’s guardian.

According to the source as reported by Majoriti, the guardian was near the swimming pool when the incident occurred.

A security guard also saw the child floating and informed the guardian, but the guardian mentioned that the child knew how to swim.

“Instead, a technician jumped in to provide CPR assistance. They called an ambulance to take her to the hospital.

At that time, the chances were 50-50,” the source said.

The child was subsequently rushed to the hospital but was understood to have been in a coma for a week.

You can watch the video here: