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

The Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC) has appealed the Shah Alam High Court's decision to acquit a 15-year-old in connection with a schoolmate's murder in Bandar Utama. This appeal was filed at the Court of Appeal on Tuesday following the High Court's September 14 ruling. The teenager was charged with murder under Section 302 of the Penal Code for the fatal stabbing of 16-year-old Yap Shing Xuen in the girls' toilet of their school on October 14 last year.

The High Court found the boy to be of unsound mind during the offense and acquitted him, subsequently ordering his detention at the pleasure of the Selangor sultan at Hospital Bahagia Ulu Kinta in Perak for treatment. Shing Xuen's mother, Wong Lee Ping, called for public support of a petition urging the AGC to appeal the decision, noting that the family had limited legal options since the final decision to appeal lies with the prosecution.

The trial, held in camera, began on August 3, with the accused entering his defense on August 13 after being declared fit to stand trial in January after a psychiatric assessment.