Student, 14, charged with murder in M'sia fatal school stabbing

A 14-year-old male student was charged in the Petaling Jaya Magistrate’s Court on Oct. 22 with the murder of 16-year-old student Yap Shing Xuen, who was found stabbed to death at a secondary school in Bandar Utama last week, reported Berita Harian Malaysia (BHM).

The murder charge

The suspect, who arrived at the Magistrate’s Court around 8:50 am in a police van, was escorted through a side entrance away from the media.

The suspect was charged under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder, which carries the death penalty upon conviction.

However for offenders who are minors, the maximum penalty upon conviction is imprisonment for a term not exceeding 30 years.

In a statement, the Attorney-General’s Chambers said it had reviewed investigation papers from the Royal Malaysian Police and found sufficient grounds for a murder charge, reported Sinar Harian.

According to the charge, the suspect is accused of murdering a 16-year-old student in the toilet of a secondary school in Bandar Utama between 9:20 and 9:35 am on Oct. 14.

As the suspect is a minor, however, the proceedings which began at approximately 10:00 am were conducted behind closed doors in accordance with the Children's Act 2001 to protect the identities of the accused and the victim, according to the Malaysia Gazette.

It is understood that both parents of the teenage boy were present at the closed proceedings this morning.

When the charge was read to him before the Magistrate, the boy, wearing an orange lock-up outfit, nodded to show he understood, as reported by Sinar Harian.

No bail was granted and the court set Nov. 21 for the case to be mentioned again to obtain the chemistry and autopsy reports.

Extension of remand

According to the Petaling Jaya district police chief earlier in the day on Oct. 22, the suspect’s remand has been extended until Oct. 28, with police having recorded statements from 148 individuals to assist in the investigation, reported BHM.

The case file has been referred to the Deputy Public Prosecutor for further instructions, he added.

The fatal incident

The fatal incident occurred about 9:30 am on Oct. 14, when the suspect allegedly attacked Yap in a school toilet at SMK Bandar Utama 4 in Petaling Jaya.

She was found with multiple stab wounds and pronounced dead at the scene.

Police later seized two knives and a kerambit believed to have been used in the attack.

Autopsy report

The ​​Selangor Police Chief, according to Bernama, informed that the initial autopsy report found that the cause of death was due to repeated stabbings to the chest and neck.

In a press conference on Oct. 16, two days after the incident, the victim’s mother, Wong Lee Ping, said that her daughter had been stabbed 200 times, reported MalaysiaKini.

The victim was cremated at Nirvana Crematorium in Shah Alam on Oct. 20.

The police are still awaiting the final results of the forensic report to confirm the exact number of stab wounds suffered by the victim.

Top images via Sin Chew Daily, China Press/Facebook