Teen apologises over Bandar Utama schoolgirl’s death
His lawyer says the defence will rely on psychiatric evidence to support a claim of unsoundness of mind.
A 15-year-old is currently facing trial for the murder of a fellow secondary school student in Bandar Utama, Petaling Jaya, last year. After the prosecution presented a prima facie case, the teenager chose to present an unsworn statement from the courtroom, expressing his remorse for the incident. His defense attorney, Kitson Foong, informed reporters that the defense would rely on psychiatric evidence to argue unsoundness of mind under Section 84 of the Penal Code.
Dr. Ian Lloyd Anthony, an expert witness from Hospital Bahagia Ulu Kinta, testified about the teenager's mental state, including a five-year history of psychosis and schizophrenia. Foong explained that the psychiatrist believed untreated mental illness, especially if it starts during childhood, could worsen over time. The psychiatrist's testimony is set to continue this afternoon, potentially followed by cross-examination, before the defense concludes its case.
The teenager is accused of killing a 16-year-old girl in a school toilet on October 14, 2025, between 9:20 am and 9:35 am. The charge falls under Section 302 of the Penal Code, which could result in the death penalty. However, Section 97(1) of the Child Act 2001 prevents the death penalty from being imposed on someone under 18 at the time of the offense.
Instead, the offender will be detained for a period determined by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, a sultan, or the Yang di-Pertua Negeri, as appropriate.
Written by urgent.news from Free Malaysia Today's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
