A two-year old female toddler was found dead with several bruises on the back and head in a rented room in Jalan Ros near here, early this morning.

Segamat District Police chief Supt Raub Selamat said the toddler’s mother, 40, and 22-year-old brother were detained today to help in the investigation.

“Preliminary investigation revealed that the toddler was found unconscious by her mother in her family rented room on the third floor of the shop-house premises at 1 am today.

“Both were detained as soon as they lodged a police report on the death of the toddler at the Segamat District Police Headquarters at 6 am today,” he said when contacted today.

He said the woman, a single mother, claimed she had told her son, who is a slow learner, to supervise the toddler before she left for Segamat town.

Raub said when the toddler’s mother, who was unemployed, returned home she saw her daughter lying unconscious before she requested the help of neighbours to contacted the hospital.

“The toddler was taken to the emergency ward of the hospital but was believed to have died before being given treatment.

”Further inspections by the hospital found several bruises on her back and head,” he said.

He said the police would seek a remand order on the two suspects at the Magistrate’s Court here tomorrow to help in the investigation under Section 302 of the Penal Code.

- Bernama