Zayn Rayyan strangled to death, says forensics consultant

A forensic medical expert consultant told the Sessions Court in Petaling Jaya that Zayn Rayyan Abdul Matin’s death was caused by strangulation to the neck and not drowning in water.

Dr Rohayu Shahar Adnan, 54, said strangulation marks were found on the boy, along with blunt and sharp force trauma.

“Strangulation at the neck caused bruising to neck muscles and the thyroid glands, indicating that it was strong enough to stop oxygen from entering the lungs and brain, which caused the deceased’s death.

“Overlapping strangulation marks were found 6cm under the right and left ears. The neck muscles and thyroid glands under the strangulation marks were also bruised. With this, I concluded that death was by ligature strangulation,” she said.

The 27th prosecution witness was reading her witness statement on the 15th day of the child neglect trial of Zayn Rayyan’s parents, Ismanira Abdul Manaf and Zaim Ikhan Zahari, in front of judge Syahliza Warnoh.

The six-year-old child with autism, who went missing on Dec 5, 2023, was found dead by a river near his house in Damansara Damai, Selangor, the next day.

Rohayu said she conducted the autopsy on Zayn Rayyan’s body at noon, Dec 7, 2023.

The consultant, who previously served in the Sungai Buloh Hospital’s forensics medical department, said the autopsy was conducted in the presence of investigating officer Nasir Mustapha.

Strangulation v hanging

Replying to an additional question from deputy public prosecutor Raja Zaizul Faridah Raja Zaharudin on the cause of the strangulation marks on the deceased’s neck, Rohayu explained that from the perspective of forensic medicine, there were differences between strangulation and hanging.

“Strangulation is caused by any object formed, such as rope, lanyard, or twisted cloth. In fact, the position of the strangulation marks are the same - 6cm under the right and left ear (of the victim), meaning the marks are horizontal.

“It’s different with hanging, where the marks are oblique, as hanging is a passive process, so any object around the neck will be tightened by the weight of the deceased and gravity.

“But for strangulation, it only uses external force, and not passive gravitational force as there is bruising to the neck muscles and the glands like the thyroid,” she said.

Blunt and sharp force trauma

She added that the deceased’s body also displayed signs of blunt and sharp force trauma in addition to strangulation marks to the neck.

“The signs of blunt force trauma are bruising to the cheek, both the upper and lower lips, the back of the head, jaw, nape, back of the right shoulder, both shoulder blades, the back of the body, chest, abdomen, right side of the body, the right underarm and left upper arm, along with bruising to both eyes.

“The signs of sharp force trauma are wounds from cuts to the left ear, incised stabs and incised wounds behind the left ear till the left side of the head, incised wounds to the back of the right side of the head, right upper arm, and underarm.

“The blunt and sharp force trauma were not fatal but were physical abuse inflicted on the deceased. There are no defensive wounds or offensive wounds found on the deceased,” she said.

On what would leave signs of such sharp trauma on the deceased, Rohayu said the ear cuts that reached the cartilage were from an object like a pair of scissors, while the incised wounds were consistent with an object with a sharp blade like a knife.

She also noted that an external inspection of the body of the 119cm tall, 17.2kg boy, wearing a school uniform with a disposable diaper, indicated that it had begun decomposing, with the skin colour being greenish and flaking, and a bloated abdomen.

“Immersion marks, where skin becomes wrinkly, are known as washer woman appearance, and were seen on both hands and feet of the deceased.

“The wrinkles on the palms and soles of the feet indicate water exposure or immersion and were not the cause of death as the deceased did not drown in water, and there were no serious diseases to the internal organs,” she said.

Time of death

On the time of Zayn Rayyan’s death, as decomposition had set in, Rohayu said that as the abdomen had bloated up, the time of death was estimated to be over 24 or 48 hours but less than seven days.

“The decomposition process usually sets in after 24 hours under normal circumstances, but if there are wounds and high temperature, and if the body is left outside and exposed to insects such as flies, decomposition can occur earlier than 24 hours,” the witness said.

According to Rohayu, foreign objects were found in the deceased’s right bronchus and stomach, and the roof of the deceased’s mouth had bruising, indicating that there were foreign objects inserted or shoved forcibly into the mouth, but the foreign objects did not cause death as the deceased did not choke to death.

“There were tears and lesions at the deceased’s anus due to the insertion of blunt objects but they were not fatal. Injuries to the deceased were perimortem or immediately before death, as there were signs of vital reaction seen under the microscope,” she said.

Ismanira and Zaim Ikhwan, both 30, are charged with neglecting Zayn Rayyan in a manner that could cause physical injury to the victim around the area of Block R of Idaman Apartments, Damansara Damai, to the stream near the apartment around noon, Dec 5, to 9.55pm, Dec 6, 2023.

They are charged under Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act 2001 and read together with Section 34 of the Penal Code, which allows a maximum fine of RM50,000 or not more than 20 years in jail, or both.

Zayn Rayyan is believed to have been murdered after autopsy results found signs of injuries to his neck and body as well as defensive wounds.

- Bernama

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