In Oattwin Township, a young child who suffered abuse, including being scalded with hot water and punched, by adoptive parents has been diagnosed with kidney and liver inflammation, according to Kyaw Thu Ya, a member of the Save The Trees Rescue Team, which is assisting and caring for the child.

“The child was admitted to the hospital with a fever. Medical examinations revealed kidney and liver damage, as well as poor lung condition. The abuse was so inhumane that it could have led to death. The child will need prolonged hospitalization. While the case is ongoing, the child is still receiving treatment at the hospital,” Kyaw Thu Ya stated.

In a village in Oattwin Township, a married couple has been charged under three legal provisions for abusing a 5-year-old child, including scalding the child with hot water, and punching and raping her. 

The case was heard in court on November 7 but was rescheduled to November 21 due to changes in court officials.

The incident occurred in a village under the Pauk Taw village-tract in Oattwin Township. A man named Tin Zaw Win had adopted the 5-year-old child. The biological parents of the child were separated, and the grandparents, who were caring for the child, could no longer afford to support her due to poverty. Consequently, the child was adopted by Tin Zaw Win and his wife, who lived in the same village. About a year later, the adoptive parents claimed the child had brain malaria and took them to Taungoo Hospital. Upon the child’s return from the hospital, the grandfather discovered the child had multiple injuries, Kyaw Thu Ya reported.

“When the child was discharged from the hospital, the grandparents saw her severely emaciated, with visible injuries, bloated abdomen, and scars. The family continued to provide treatment with herbal medicine. One night, the child said her private part was hurting and it was swollen. Upon questioning, the child revealed that the adoptive father had abused her both at home and in the forest. He cut the child’s face with a knife for stealing food, poured boiling water into the child’s mouth, burned her hand with fire, withheld food, and punched the child’s face, breaking teeth and splitting gums,” Kyaw Thu Ya explained.

The grandfather then brought the child to town to report the incident. While seeking assistance from a friend, they were caught in heavy rain and subsequently taken to the Save The Trees Rescue Team office by a motorbike taxi driver. Currently, the organization is supporting and caring for the child and grandparents. The perpetrators, Tin Zaw Win and his wife, have been arrested and are undergoing trial.