Not all parents are created equal; some live for their children while others made them die quietly for their sake.
In a horrifying case committed back in 2014, a little girl was killed before she was given a chance to live her life.
Here are 10 facts about the case you need to know.
1. Victim was Sent to Foster Care a Few Months After Birth
Umaisyah was born in 2011 to a 35-year-old man and his then-wife.
The couple had four children of their own, including Umaisyah, and the wife had a daughter and son from a previous marriage.
In Nov 2011, when Umaisyah was three to four months’ old, she was sent into foster care.
Her father was caught for drug offences and sent into the Drug Rehabilitation Centre while the mother was assessed to be unfit for caring for her.
2. Unfamiliar with Biological Parents
As Umaisyah was sent into foster care from an early age, she was unfamiliar with her biological parents.
She was returned to her family in June 2013, 1.5 years after being sent to foster care.
Umaisyah would often cry as she was not familiar with her parents.
3. Abuse
Umaisyah’s father reportedly abused the victim, including hitting her with a belt and hanger, and punching her thigh or pinching her body.
The rest of the children in the household also suffered the same abuse.
They were also often left in the house with no adequate food and water.
The children were aged between two and nine years old.
4. Death
The tragedy happened on March 2014.
Umaisyah had soiled her diaper and was playing with her faeces when her parents caught her.
Upset after the daughter cried again, the mother slapped Umaisyah’s face and flicked her lips.
The father slapped her two to three times forcefully.
At that time, Umaisyah was only two years old.
She sat on the ground and started gasping for breath.
Her mother also saw blood and liquid coming out of her nose and mouth.
5. Did Not Sought Medical Help
The father tried applying CPR to revive Umaisyah but she did not response.
Despite knowing her life-threatening situation, both the father and mother did not seek emergency treatment or go to the hospital.
The man had consumed meth earlier that morning and was worried that his drug use would be discovered.
The pair were also worried that they would be arrested for their involvement.
According to the prosecution, Umaisyah could have been saved with medical intervention.
6. Burning the Body & Covering Up the Truth
To hide their crime, the pair concocted a hideous plan.
On the day of her death, they placed Umaisyah’s body into a metal pot and burnt her on the back of the father’s lorry.
After ensuring that she was fully burnt, the pair placed the pot into a cardboard box and sealed it tight before placing it under the kitchen stove.
Their family members were warned away from the box, saying it contained items from the father’s lorry.
When the Ministry of Education (MOE) reached out regarding Umaisyah’s Primary one registration, the pair lied about her whereabouts.
The mother claimed that her estranged husband had taken the girl away. Meanwhile, the father said his relatives were caring for her in Malaysia.
7. Discovery
Umaisyah’s uncle was curious about the box under the kitchen stove.
In 2017, he noticed cockroach eggs in the cling wrap and tried to throw the box away. The mother, however, stopped him and resealed the box, warning him against touching it.
After the mother went to prison in 2019, the uncle opened the box to discover a decomposed and wet lump.
He showed it to his sister’s friends when they visited the house after her sentencing.
Uneasy, they lodged a police report.
8. Body Thoroughly Destroyed
According to the prosecution, Umaisyah’s body was “charred beyond recognition”.
It had no hands, feet, or any facial features.
During autopsy, only small bones and a loose tooth were found from the ashes and residue.
This was why the investigation process took a long time.
“Significant investigations” had to be carried out to establish the cause of death, what happened and the timeline of events.
9. Trying to Shift the Blame
Deputy Public Prosecutor Wong Woon Kwong said that when the couple decided to burn the body, the man tried to shift the blame to his wife.
However, the man’s lawyer said that wasn’t the case.
His client was merely stating what happened, not attempting to point fingers.
He added that the killing was not a premediated act but a spontaneous one instead.
The prosecution asked for a jail-term between 20.5 and 21.5 years, along with 18 strokes of the cane.
The man pleaded guilty to one count of culpable homicide not amounting to murder and three other charges including rioting, ill-treating his stepson and consuming a specified drug.
Another five charges will be considered for sentencing.
On 19 Sep 2023, the judge sentenced the man to 21.5 years in jail and 18 strokes of the cane.
Calling his actions “reprehensible”, the judge agreed that the maximum sentencing should be imposed for this case.
The judge also partially lifted the gag order on the victim’s name, allowing it to be published.
This is because she deserves more than to be “referred to by cold and impersonal terms such as victim or deceased”.
Meanwhile, the mother’s case is pending. She was initially charged with murder together with the man.
It was later withdrawn by the prosecution.