PSYCHIATRIC REPORT ON BOY IN FATAL SCHOOL STABBING INCIDENT READY NEXT MONTH

PETALING JAYA,  Nov 21 (Bernama) -- The psychiatric report on a teenage boy accused of murdering a 16-year-old female student in a secondary school toilet in Bandar Utama, near here, is expected to be completed next month.

Lawyer Kitson Foong, representing the 14-year-old boy, said medical experts at Hospital Bahagia Ulu Kinta in Perak informed them that more time was needed to prepare the report.

“The court took into account Section 342(4) of the Criminal Procedure Code, which allows for an extension of nearly a month, in the hope that the report can be completed before the next proceedings.

“A comprehensive mental examination of my client is crucial to determine his level of intelligence before the court can accept a guilty plea in the High Court or proceed with a trial for the murder charge,” he said outside the court following the mention of the case today.

Proceedings of the case were conducted in camera because it involved a juvenile offender.

Kitson said Magistrate Amira Sariaty Zainal set Dec 19 for the mention of the case.

The boy, who is in Form One, was charged in the Magistrate’s Court here last Oct 22 with murdering a 16-year-old female student at a secondary school in Bandar Utama.

The offence was allegedly committed between 9.20 am and 9.35 am on Oct 14.

No plea was recorded as murder cases fall under the jurisdiction of the High Court.

The charge was framed under Section 302 of the Penal Code, which carries the death sentence or imprisonment of between 30 and 40 years, and not less than 12 strokes of the cane, upon conviction.

In today's proceedings, the prosecution was conducted by Deputy Public Prosecutor Syed Ahmed Khabir Abdul Rahman,  while lawyer Nur Izni Syazwani Ahmad held a watching brief for the mother of the deceased.

-- BERNAMA