KUCHING: The babysitter of Eric Chang Wei Jie who was reported missing on March 7, and her husband were charged with killing the four-year-old in the Magistrate’s Court here yesterday.
However, no plea was recorded from the two accused – Wendy Chai Xue Zhen, 37 and Ling Kok Liang, 51, after the charge was read out by an interpreter before Magistrate Zaiton Anuar.
According to the charge sheet, they were accused of deliberately killing Eric at Lorong 2, Taman Riverview, Jalan Bintawa around 5pm on March 4.
The charge under Section 302 of the Penal Code, carries the mandatory death sentence, upon conviction.
The magistrate set pre-trial case management on May 9.
The court ordered the two accused to be remanded until the pre-trial case management.
Deputy public prosecutor Tan Chuan Yi prosecuted while the accused were not represented by counsel.
Eric was reported missing on March 7 while being cared for by the babysitter in a residential area in Bintawa.
Search operation began on March 13 around the waters of Muara Tebas and was ended on March 19 at 6pm after search and rescue personnel found no clue of the missing boy.
Police later classified the case as murder and four individuals were detained for investigation.
The four individuals comprising Eric’s babysitter and her husband as well as his biological parents, reportedly have 17 previous criminal records – 14 drug-related, two property crimes and one commercial crime.
