Zara Qairina inquest: Mother’s assessment unnecessary for psychological autopsy, psychiatrist tells court

KOTA KINABALU, Sept 9 — Consultant Forensic Psychiatrist Dr Chua Sze Hung explained to the Coroner’s Court that performing an assessment on the mother of the deceased, Zara Qairina Mahathir, is not necessary within the context of a psychological autopsy. Dr Chua emphasized that the focus should be on determining the manner of death, with a psychological autopsy being the appropriate approach.

He clarified that conducting a clinical assessment of the surviving parent is not a suitable substitute for a retrospective evaluation of the adolescent's mental state. Dr Chua pointed out that mixing these two distinct clinical subjects represents a category error. He further explained that a clinical assessment of the mother's current mental condition is of little help in understanding the deceased's symptom load and final suicidal intent.

Dr Chua stressed that survivor recollections in death inquiries can be influenced by guilt, anger, and shame, and that the adolescent's written diaries documenting her various difficulties are the most critical and uncontaminated pre-mortem data. Dr Chua also reiterated that clinical psychiatric assessment is not meant to be conducted retrospectively or to determine the manner of death.

He maintained that the manner of death of the deceased is most consistent with suicide, and his opinion is an expert opinion based on the balance of probability. The proceedings are expected to resume the following day.