Wednesday, August 20, 2008

One year on — and her killer still walks among us: Nurin’s family suing police...

By : Fadhal A Ghani

KUALA LUMPUR: A year ago today, Nurin Jazlin Jazimin was forcibly taken away from her family which started a saga which horrified the nation.

A month later, the sexually ravaged body of the eight-year-old was found in a sports bag outside a shoplot in PJS 1, Petaling Jaya.

It sparked a massive manhunt with a reward of more than RM20,000 offered for information leading to her killer's whereabouts. The reward and the manhunt yielded nothing.

Nurin's family, meanwhile, was subjected to more pain when a newspaper report stated that police were looking at the possibility that Nurin could have been taken away by loan sharks, implying that the family had dealings with Ah Long.

But the biggest blow came when post-mortem pictures of Nurin started circulating on the Internet. That, for the family, was the last straw.

After waiting for a year, the family has decided to fight back. Tomorrow, they will be filing a suit at the Kuala Lumpur High court against the police and the government.

They will be seeking damages, a public apology and retraction of the newspaper article linking the family with loan sharks. They are seeking an apology and damages for lack of security which led to the circulation of Nurin's post-mortem photographs.

Nurin's parents, Jazimin Abdul Jalil and Norazian Bistaman, yesterday expressed frustration over the whole episode.

"How can her post-mortem photographs be on the Internet? This was a police case, the photos are supposed to be confidential and classified," said an exasperated Jazimin.

"Haven't we suffered enough losing our daughter? Why put us through further misery by circulating her post-mortem photographs?"

The family is particularly upset that no one was charged with further violating Nurin's memory even though, at the height of the incident, police had claimed that the culprits were identified.

On Jazimin's alleged involvement with loan sharks, the father of three described the allegation as ridiculous.

"What Ah Long? I have never known or approached any loan shark," he said at his flat in Kampung Baru Air Panas, Setapak.

Jazimin claimed that, to further add insult to injury, he and his wife were even investigated for negligence.

Nurin was abducted when she was returning to her home in Section One, Wangsa Maju, after visiting a night market with her sister.

"Why were we investigated? Our daughter was abducted and murdered and they want to punish us."

Jazimin said he felt police had given up the search for his daughter's killer and had given up hope of positive news on the case.

"Does the task force still exist?" asked the father, refering to a special police squad initially set up to find the missing girl and later to investigate her murder.

Jazimin, however, was thankful for the support and help given by the public and has set up a security firm to repay the public for their kindness.

"I want to do my part in ensuring no family will have to go through what we underwent in the past year."

Jazimin and his wife have three other daughters -- Nurin Jazshira, 10, Nurin Jazrina, seven, and Nurin Jazlisa, two.

They will be holding a kenduri soon to commemorate the first anniversary of Nurin's death.

- New Straits Times

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