SEREMBAN, A 19-year-old girl pleaded not guilty in the Sessions Court here today to charges of abusing four children, aged five and six, at a daycare child centre near here last month. She was charged in two Sessions Court, two of the charges were read out before Judge Datin Surita Budin and another two charges were read out before Judge Meor Sulaiman Ahmad Tarmizi, On all four charges, the assistant caretaker was charged as the person having the care of the four children, all girls, to have physically abused them by placing a hot metal spoon on their arms, resulting in scalding, at the childcare centre in August this year. The charges were framed under Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act 2001 (Act 611) which provides imprisonment for up to 20 years and a maximum fine of RM50,000 or both upon conviction. The prosecution was conducted by deputy public prosecutors Noraziha Asmuni and Syamimi Farhana Muhammad A. Aziz, while the accused was unrepresented. Judge Surita allowed her bail of RM40,000 for the two charges and also ordered her to report herself at the nearest police station every month and surrender her passport to the court. Judge Meor Sulaiman, however, did not offer bail. Both courts set Oct 18 for mention for the submission of documents and the appointment of a lawyer. Source: BERNAMA News Agency