Teen’s assault of mother, classmates detailed in BU school murder judgment

A forensic psychiatrist's report has been disclosed in the grounds of judgment from the Shah Alam High Court, explaining why a teenager was acquitted of murdering a schoolmate last year. The report revealed that the boy, identified as L, had previously assaulted his mother and two classmates while attending counseling sessions at his school.

According to Dr Ian Lloyd Anthony, the incidents occurred during counseling sessions and proved futile. Anthony diagnosed L with schizophrenia with psychopathic and sadistic traits. The report was not challenged by the prosecution, and Justice Adlin Abdul Majid accepted Anthony's findings on L's condition and state of mind at the time of the incident.

Adlin noted that the prosecution was provided with the report in January and had sufficient time to obtain and adduce psychiatric evidence in rebuttal, but no such expert was called. Adlin emphasized the seriousness of the child's mental health issues, which were "invisible" to those around him and had now been borne by two families.