Another case of a child being left home alone has emerged after police found a starving six-year-old girl with bruises on her back in a house off Perak Road.
The girl was apparently left crying alone in the house for six hours before neighbours came to her aid.
Her 49-year-old father was picked up by the police at the Jelutong Market at 11.45pm.
George Town OCPD Asst Comm Gan Kong Meng said the man, an odd-job worker, has a criminal record for possessing stolen vehicles and theft.
One of the neighbours known only as Lee, 62, said they found the girl with bruises on her back, said to have been inflicted using a cane.
They fed her with biscuits, bread and water before alerting Penang municipal councillor Ong Ah Teong at about 9.30pm on Sunday.
It is learnt the mother and her two other children only returned home at about 11pm after the girl was sent to the hospital.
The girl's father, who reached the house earlier, sped off on his motorcycle after seeing policemen at the house.
Lee said neighbours heard the child crying since afternoon but did not do anything since they assumed her parents were around.
“But when her cries and screams lasted for hours, I decided to come over and was shocked to see her sitting alone near the door. I believe this is not the first time she was left crying and starving alone at home.
“I have heard her crying many times in the past six months. Most of the time, she was beaten by family members,” he said yesterday.
Ong, when met at the Penang Hospital, said he alerted the police who then brought the girl out of the house.
State Social Welfare Department officers brought her to the Penang Hospital. The girl, who is reported to be in stable condition, has been warded and is being cared for by her mother.
Initial police investigations revealed that the girl had been beaten up by her father for playing with his wallet and identity card.
ACP Gan said a medical check-up found that the girl's injuries were not as serious as feared earlier.
“We believe this is not an abuse case. Nevertheless, we are still investigating to get to the bottom of this case,” he said.
Police have since picked up the girl's 49-year-old father at the Jelutong market at 11.45pm yesterday.
