No witness was called by the prosecutor to testify during the first day of a Malaysian couple’s trial at the Solna district court in Stockholm, Sweden yesterday, said Sukarelawan Peguam Untuk Semua (Sukaguam) chairperson Khairul Anwar Rahmat.

Khairul Anwar, who arrived in Stockholm yesterday morning, said the trial instead saw the prosecutor exhibit a Swedish police video recording of the couple’s youngest son, Arif.

He pointed out that Sukaguam was informed that no adult or neighbour of the couple would be called to testify at the trial.

“We assume that the witnesses may comprise the children’s friends at school,” he said in a statement to Bernama in Kuala Lumpur last tonight.

Khairul said Sukaguam also believed that the prime witness and prime evidence would only be the recorded videos of the couple’s children.

On Feb 10, Shalwati Norshal, a teacher on unpaid leave, and husband Azizul Raheem, a Tourism Malaysia officer in Sweden, were charged separately at a Stockholm district court of gross violation of their children’s integrity and for assault.

Yesterday’s trial began at 9am, and is expected to last for two weeks.

Kristofer Stahre, Shalwati’s counsel, had also confirmed in a local English newspaper today that there was no need for the couple’s children to attend the trial.

Previously, Khairul Anwar was quoted as saying that the Swedish prosecutor could instead send a representative to Malaysia to record further statements from the four children, if necessary.

Meanwhile, Shalwati’s sister, Noor Azila Makhzan, when contacted by Bernama, said the couple was tremendously happy to see each other and the family during the trial.

‘Shalwati shed tears’

“This was the first time that Azizul and Shalwati (remanded separately) met face-to-face after a long time. Shalwati shed tears when she met her husband,” she said.

Noor Azila said the couple also waved at family members who were present in the court, adding that she had arrived in Stockholm this morning.

According to Noor Azila, she noted that during the trial, the prosecutor had exhibited, among others, ‘rotan’, a carpet beater and pictures of hangers of several colors which were allegedly used to hit the children on several occasions.

“The prosecutor showed the exhibits to the couple, via their lawyer. However, Azizul and Shalwati denied striking the children with the said exhibits.

Yesterday’s trial was adjourned at 5pm (midnight Malaysian time) and will resume at 9am, the following day.

The couple has been remanded since Dec 18, last year for allegedly hitting the hands of one of their children for not praying. Since then, their remand has been extended thrice.

The Swedish judicial system does not allow those charged to be released on bail.

The four children who were previously placed under the care of a Swedish non-Muslim foster family as a result of the case, were subsequently handed over to the Malaysian Embassy in Sweden on Jan 30. The children returned to Malaysia the next day.

They are currently enrolled at a school in Kelantan and looked after by relatives.

- Bernama