Boy loses legs after school warden's beatings
Johor police say 11-year-old was hit with a water hose
JOHOR BARU A boy has had his legs amputated to save his life after being allegedly abused by a religious school warden.
Doctors said both legs could not be saved as blood cells and tissues were destroyed due to a bacterial infection.
The 11-year-old is now in a coma, Star Online reported.
His condition has worsened as his right arm is also swollen due to an infection.
An assistant warden from the private religious school in Kota Tinggi has been remanded for four days over the alleged beating of the pupil with a water hose.
Magistrate Mazana Sinin had ordered the remand of the 29-year-old suspect to begin yesterday to allow investigations.
According to the boy's mother, his nightmare started last month after she enrolled him in the school in January.
The 40-year-old teacher said that when she visited her son last month, he appeared weak and tired.
She said she was worried and requested that the school authorities send him back home on March 31.
"He had begged me to transfer him out, saying he was being abused and could not bear the pain and torture," said the teary-eyed mother. The boy is the third of five siblings.
Several days later, the boy had fever while bruises and swelling appeared on his legs.
She said: "He complained of body ache. So we took him to a clinic and transferred him to a hospital after his situation worsened."
Superintendent Rahmat Othman said initial investigations showed the warden had beaten several other students. Apparently, they had made noise at the school's prayer room.
The warden has since been suspended by the school.
Said Supt Rahmat: "We also found that the mother had given a painkiller to her son. The pills are post-natal medicine which she took."
Johor Islamic Religious Department said it would conduct an investigation.
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