Interview with a domestic violence victim in Shah Alam, Selangor. PIX: HAZROL ZAINAL / MalaysiaGazette / 18 JULY 2021.
Domestic abuse victim, Yositha wiping her tears while sharing her experience in an interview at Shah Alam, Selangor. PIX: HAZROL ZAINAL / MalaysiaGazette / 18 JULY 2021

By Kasthuri Jeevendran

KUALA LUMPUR – A domestic abuse victim is wondering why no action was taken on the eight police reports lodged by her against her husband.

The eight police reports do not include another report lodged by her own sibling.

The victim who only wanted to be known as Yositha revealed that she has been mentally and physically abused by her husband and in-laws throughout their 12 years of marriage.

Speaking to MalaysiaGazette, the mother of three said that she was hit, kicked, strangled, slapped, spat on and thrown with various offensive words by her husband, mother-in-law and her siblings-in-law when she lived with them in Sungai Petani, Kedah.

“I have been abused since the beginning of our marriage until the birth of our third child. The abuse never stopped.

“I did not expect that my husband’s hot temper would bring such domestic violence,” she shared that she has been abused since she was pregnant with her first child.

The domestic abuse victim showing her old wounds that are believed to be caused by her husband during an interview in Shah Alam, Selangor. PIX: HAZROL ZAINAL / MalaysiaGazette / 18 JULY 2021.
The domestic abuse victim showing her old wounds that are believed to be caused by her husband during an interview in Shah Alam, Selangor.
PIX: HAZROL ZAINAL / MalaysiaGazette / 18 JULY 2021.

Yositha, who originated from Perak said that besides being beaten, she was also thrown with a table and water bottles.

“I did not realise that what my husband did was a form of domestic violence. I tried to be patient and bear with it but it only got worse. He is hot tempered and he manipulated everything and accused me for being the cause for everything.

“Until a point, I only kept quiet and not say anything if do not want to my husband to continue beating me,” she sobbed.

The domestic abuse victim showing her old wounds that are believed to be caused by her husband during an interview in Shah Alam, Selangor.     PIX: HAZROL ZAINAL / MalaysiaGazette / 18 JULY 2021.
The domestic abuse victim showing her old wounds that are believed to be caused by her husband during an interview in Shah Alam, Selangor.

The experience of being dragged from a stairs, her hair pulled, kicked while she was pregnant was a nightmare for her.

Yositha said, her husband would only stop assaulting her if she was bleeding or her body went limp.

She also alleged that her husband is a great manipulator and what he did would be seen as not an offence.

“He would stop and then apologised, begged and cried so that I do not do anything drastic.

“I had two miscarriages throughout my marriage due to physical and mental assault by my husband, mother-in-law and sister-in-law. My husband also refused to give me food several times,” she added.

She decided to leave home in April this year after she could no longer stand the constant beating, shaming and being called a crazy woman by her own husband and mother-in-law.

   Yositha shows the police report she has lodged on the domestic violence she has endured.     PIX: HAZROL ZAINAL / MalaysiaGazette / 18 JULY 2021

Yositha shows the police report she has lodged on the domestic violence she has endured.
PIX: HAZROL ZAINAL / MalaysiaGazette / 18 JULY 2021

“I have lodged eight police reports so far but no action was taken against my husband at all. I have been wondering on how my husband could escape the law?” she questioned.

Four police reports were lodged in Sungai Petani and four were lodged in Selangor.

The unfortunate woman said that she has not met her 11 and 7-year-old daughters for three months.

However, her 2 year-old son is with her.

Yositha who is also a former medical student said that she had to stop pursuing her studies and her husband did not allow her to do so.

Currently, Yositha and her son are given the protection by the Petaling Jaya Magistrate Court.

The woman added, she raised questions on the police reports lodged by her as she is concerned about the fate of her two daughters who are still under the care of her husband and living with her mother-in-law.

“What happened to me was not fair and I need justice. I do not want the things that have happened to me to hit my daughters.

“Thus, I cannot keep quiet anymore. I think, if I haven’t leave that house, perhaps, I have already died today,” she said in tears. –MalaysiaGazette