AGC appeals acquittal of 15-year-old in Bandar Utama school murder

The Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC) has appealed the decision of the Shah Alam High Court to acquit a 15-year-old boy accused of murdering a schoolmate in Bandar Utama last year. The AGC filed a notice of appeal at the Court of Appeal on Tuesday, following the High Court's decision made on September 14. The teenager faced charges under Section 302 of the Penal Code, relating to the murder of 16-year-old Yap Shing Xuen in the girls' toilet of their school between 9.20am and 9.35am on October 14 last year.

The High Court acquitted and discharged the boy at the end of the defense case, stating that he was of unsound mind at the time of the offence. However, Justice Adlin Abdul Majid ordered the boy's detention at the pleasure of the Selangor sultan at Hospital Bahagia Ulu Kinta in Perak, where he would receive treatment. The case sparked an appeal from the family, with the mother urging public support for a petition calling on the AGC to reconsider the decision.

The teenager was deemed fit to stand trial in January after a psychiatric assessment at Hospital Bahagia. The murder trial commenced on August 3 and was conducted in private, as the accused was a minor. He delivered his defense on August 13.