KUALA LUMPUR, July 23 — The police today rescued six-year-old Albertine Leo Jia Hui in a hotel in Selangor, just days after her disappearance from a Johor mall which had also triggered a national alert for missing children.
What is the latest on the case?
- Police found Albertine Leo safe and with no visible physical injuries at 4.45am at July 23 in a budget hotel Batang Kali, Selangor, which is more than four hours’ drive away or more than 370km away from the mall she went missing in Johor at night on July 20
- Five suspects arrested and remanded for police investigation for the crimes of abduction AND physical sexual assault on a child
- The child was yesterday said to be undergoing medical treatment at a Selangor hospital; family has asked for space to recover
The investigation is being conducted under Section 365 of the Penal Code, which covers the offence of kidnapping or abducting a person with the intent to cause that person to be secretly and wrongfully confined. Section 365 carries the penalty of a jail term of up to seven years and a fine.
The case is also being investigated under Section 14(a) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017, which covers the offence of physical sexual assault on a child. Section 14(a) covers the offence of touching a child for sexual purposes and carries the penalty of a maximum 20 years’ jail and whipping.
Here is the chronology of events so far:
July 20 (Sat)
- Albertine Leo Jia Hui goes missing at night. She was last seen at the Bon Odori Festival at the shopping mall Eco Galleria at Iskandar Puteri, Johor. She was wearing a white shirt with an image of Mickey Mouse and shorts.
July 21 (Sun)
- Police report lodged at 12.35am.
- Iskandar Puteri district police chief ACP Kumarasan Muniandy issues missing person notice for Albertine Leo, says tracking her and asks the public to share information on her location.
July 22 (Mon)
- Police issue a National Urgent Response (Nur) Alert — used to spread information on missing children under the age of 12 — for Albertine Leo.
- Albertine Leo’s mother urges public to stop spreading inaccurate information about her missing child as it would affect the police’s search.
- On his official Facebook page, Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi highlights Albertine Leo’s case, asks public with information or who have found the girl to immediately report it at the nearest police station.
- Johor police chief CP M. Kumar Muthuvelu says Albertine Leo’s case has been reclassified as an abduction case and is being investigated under Section 365 of the Penal Code. He says police have arrested two Malaysian men and one Malaysian woman aged within the range of 28 to 55 in the Iskandar Puteri area in Gelang Patah to aid in investigations. Their arrests were reportedly made at 1.30pm.
July 23 (Tues)
- Police reportedly also arrested another Malaysian woman in Iskandar Puteri, Johor at 12.15am.
- Johor police chief CP M. Kumar Muthuvelu announces Albertine Leo was found safe and rescued at 4.45am from a budget hotel in Batang Kali, Selangor. Police also arrested a Malaysian male suspect aged 31 who was found with her.
- The police are still investigating the motive for the abduction as no ransom demand was made to the family.
- Besides investigating the case as an abduction offence, the police are also investigating the case under Section 14(a) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017 which covers the offence of physical sexual assault on a child. Section 14(a) covers the offence of touching a child for sexual purposes and carries the penalty of a maximum 20 years’ jail and whipping.
- All five suspects do not have family ties with the girl.
- The Johor police said the girl did not have visible physical injuries and was sent to a hospital for medical examination. Johor state executive councillor Ling Tian Soon said the girl is receiving treatment at a Selangor hospital and that the family is asking for space to recover.
- The Magistrates’ Court in Johor Baru reportedly granted a remand order or detention of the first four suspects (two Malaysian men and two Malaysian women) for four days to enable investigations to be carried out. The fifth and sixth suspects, who were also brought to the Magistrates’ Court in Johor Baru, were reportedly remanded for seven days.
What do Malaysians need to know about missing persons and what should you do?
Today, national news agency Bernama reported Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail as saying that the number of police reports on missing persons incidents in Malaysia has remained at about 900 cases every year during the 2020 to June 2024 period, and that 85 to 90 per cent of those reported missing were found.
The home minister also said the public should play their role by lodging police reports on missing persons at any time, and that all police stations in Malaysia can accept police reports on missing persons.
