ALOR SETAR, Sept 15 (Bernama) -- The woman who was stabbed 13 times by her husband at their home in Taman Tiram, Kulim, last night had never told her family about problems in her marriage.
The victim’s aunt, D. Kodimalar, 42, said S. Sila, 39, was very close to her and had never complained of any disagreements with her husband throughout their five-year marriage.
“We did not know they were having problems as they appeared to be happy. She never told the family anything.
“If she had told us earlier, we could have stepped in to help and perhaps prevented what happened,” she told reporters when met at the Forensic Department of Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital (HSB) here today.
Kodimalar said family members rushed to the house and broke in, where they found the victim, the eldest of three siblings, unconscious on the bed with stab wounds to her chest and abdomen.
“After stabbing the victim, the suspect contacted his younger brother and handed over their three-year-old son and the house keys before leaving in a car.
“After receiving the information from the suspect’s brother, we rushed to the house and arrived at about 8.30 pm. We had to break down the door and, when we opened the bedroom door, I saw her lying on the bed covered in blood,” she said.
Kodimalar said she and other family members immediately took the victim to hospital, and she still had a pulse.
“The hospital staff tried to resuscitate her and administer blood, but she was pronounced dead due to her severe injuries.
“We are waiting for the post-mortem to be completed, after which her remains will be taken back to her hometown of Kampung Manis, Perai, Penang, where she grew up,” she said.
Kodimalar said she last met the victim in August and described her as a brave person who was loved by all members of the family.
Meanwhile, another family member, who declined to be identified, said he was shocked by the incident as the suspect was a friendly person who loved his wife and child, and was neither a drinker nor a smoker.
“We are deeply saddened by what happened. We had looked after her since she was a child, and now that she is gone, we will take care of her son just as we took care of her,” he said.
Yesterday, Kulim Police chief Supt Syamsul Sinring said the 43-year-old suspect turned himself in at the Lunas Police Station at 8.40 pm and told police that he had stabbed his wife 13 times at their home.
The suspect also surrendered a folding knife believed to have been used in the incident.
-- BERNAMA