For certain victims of abuse, a telling sign of how deeply the torment has impacted them, is when they don’t even realise it’s abuse, right until the very end. A 64-year-old woman from Bukit Mertajam, Penang was abused and locked in her house with no way out, until she called out to her neighbours for help and was finally freed.
The victim was first discovered yesterday afternoon (March 13) in her Bukit Mertajam flat, when her neighbours found her shouting for help, asking to be let out of her house. According to Sin Chew, they sought help from the president of the residence’s management, who subsequently lodged a police report.
Once the police were there, they successfully broke down the front door and released her, only to find something worse: deep cuts and wounds all over the elderly lady. When asked if she had been hurt by someone, she kept on insisting that it was only because of a fall. Now, we’ve taken our fair share of tumbles, but none of our injuries ever looked this bad.
Source: Sin Chew
As police dug further into the woman’s living situation, they uncovered even more skeletons, such as the fact that she has a son and daughter, who are both afflicted with mental disorders. Additionally, her son is married to a special needs woman. It is understood that no one in the household has jobs, and survive mainly on monetary aid from Zakat and the Department of Social Welfare. As soon as the funds are used up, they will resort to begging on the streets. We’re out of words…
With all that going on, it’s no wonder the victim is diagnosed with depression, according to hospital records that indicated she received treatment for the illness.
Source: Sin Chew
Police have now held the victim’s children as well as her daughter-in-law on suspicion of physically abusing her, and will arrange for both the suspects and victim to receive a mental health evaluation.
Although we don’t know the full story behind this harrowing incident yet, we do know that it’s not right to treat a fellow human being this way, especially when that person is someone you’re related to! Let’s hope the victim receives proper treatment and care, so that she may have a chance to recover from this ordeal.
Also read: Police Authorities In Search Of A 30yo Suspect Who Severely Abused A Mentally Disabled Boy
