M'sia boy, 15, acquitted of murdering girl, 16, 'thought he was God' & 'heard voices': Defence lawyer

A 15-year-old boy in Malaysia was acquitted of murdering his 16-year-old schoolmate at a secondary school in Bandar Utama in 2025.

The High Court on Sep. 14 found him to have been of unsound mind during the incident.

The boy will be detained and treated at Hospital Bahagia Ulu Kinta in Perak at the pleasure of the Sultan of Selangor, the judge ordered.

Defence lawyer addresses media

The boy's lawyer, Kitson Foong, told reporters after closed-door proceedings that the defence had successfully established the requirements for the defence of insanity, while the prosecution had failed to rebut it.

"As a result, the court acquitted the boy of the murder charge on the grounds of insanity," he said.

Foong added that the boy will be treated at a psychiatric hospital "until the Sultan of Selangor receives a report stating that he can return to society and is no longer a threat to society", upon the advice of psychiatric doctors.

Heard voices

The court had accepted the testimony and report of Ian Lloyd Anthony, the forensic psychiatrist and director of Hospital Bahagia Ulu Kinta

Ian Lloyd found that the boy was suffering from severe schizophrenia, New Straits Times reported Foong saying.

"He was not his normal self. He thought he was God and heard voices," Foong said.

The trial started on Aug. 3, 2026.

A total of 11 prosecution witnesses, including the boy's elder brother, gave testimony.

The defence called two witnesses: The boy and Ian Lloyd.

Boy aware of proceedings

Foong added that the boy understood and was aware of the proceedings as the judge's decision was translated into Mandarin for him, NST reported.

The boy will no longer be held at the Puncak Alam Correctional Centre where he has been detained since being charged with murder.

Foong said the judge personally reminded the boy that he took a life and about the gravity of the offence, and to be grateful for the second chance given to him by the court, whose liberty should not be taken for granted.

The boy acknowledged that he had taken a life, Foong said.

The court also explained every aspect and clarified the issues concerning his mental health, the defence lawyer added, according to NST.

Victim's mother avoided media

The victim's mother was in court, but reportedly left through a different exit to avoid the media.

Foong said he hoped the victim's family would not view the decision as an insult to the deceased: "It is not that we have disregarded the interests of the deceased."

He explained that the judge's decision was based on the charges, the medical report, and expert findings.

Foong said Malaysian law recognised that children below 18 could be treated and rehabilitated.

Background

The boy had pleaded not guilty to murdering his Form Four schoolmate in the girls' toilet of SMK Bandar Utama Damansara (4), Bandar Utama, Petaling Jaya, between 9:20am and 9:35am on Oct. 14, 2025.

The charge carries the death penalty, or jail term of between 30 and 40 years and 12 strokes of the cane.

The death penalty cannot be imposed on a child who commits an offence while below 18.

However, the person convicted of such an offence can be detained at the pleasure of sultan.