Defence lawyer denies family statements in Irene Sofiya case, warns against fabricated social media posts

Batu Pahat, Oct 15 — The defence attorney for the 16-year-old suspect, currently charged with the murder of fellow student Irene Sofiya Mohd Khairool Faisal, today denied any statements or apologies attributed to the teen's family. Counsel Mohd Azlan Shah Mohd Allias emphasized that the accused's family has remained silent throughout the investigation, releasing neither statements nor publishing any posts on digital platforms.

He affirmed, "The accused's family denies their involvement in creating or disseminating any unverified information, particularly on social media." Addressing circulating claims that the family had requested a meeting with Irene Sofiya's relatives, Mohd Azlan noted that such rumours had already been dismissed by the victim's family on Oct 9, urging the public to refrain from spreading unfounded narratives.

The lawyer cautioned that the family would file police reports and pursue legal action against any individuals perpetuating fabrications or spreading such rumors. He reminded the public that the case is still under investigation, and the court has yet to render any decision. The public, he stressed, should abide by the country's legal principles of maintaining innocence until proven guilty and exercise restraint while judicial proceedings are ongoing.

Earlier, court authorities had prohibited filming and photography of the minor accused, in accordance with the protections outlined in the Child Act 2001. Irene Sofiya, a Form Four student, was discovered dead with severe blunt-force trauma at Dewan Sri Tanjung at SMK Dato' Seth in Yong Peng around 5:50pm on Oct 3. Police apprehended the 16-year-old classmate shortly thereafter and recovered a 96-centimeter iron pipe along with bloodstained sports clothing to aid in the capital murder investigation.

The teenager has been held in remand since Oct 4 and was brought to court today to face formal charges.