A 36-year-old Malaysian man was charged with murder last Friday after an 11-month-old infant he allegedly rape succumbed to her injuries and died.

According to the local press, the accused Hazmi Majid, caused baby Zara’s death after physically and sexually assaulting the child on 7 Nov, between 10.30am and 1.30pm in a unit at the Sri Cempaka Apartment complex in Bandar Baru Bangi.

Hazmi’s wife was babysitting Zara at the time of the attack. The couple initially told Zara’s mother that they rushed her daughter to the Serdang Hospital in Selangor after she choked on a piece of apple. Zara passed away after two days of being in critical condition, two weeks ago.

Medical examiners, however, found tears on the baby’s hymen and anus. A post-mortem report further found that the cause of death was blunt force trauma to the baby’s head and skull.

Hazmi and his wife were swiftly arrested. Hazmi’s wife has since been released on bond and is set to appear as a witness for the prosecution during the court case.

Hazmi, who faces a mandatory death sentence under Section 302 of the Penal Code if he is convicted for murder, will return to court next week. He is expected to be charged on two counts of inserting an object into the baby’s private parts and anus, under Section 377CA of the Penal Code.