From BBC News · · 1m 30s
Malaysian boy acquitted of schoolgirl's murder
A 14-year-old killed a classmate in a school toilet. The court says schizophrenia, not guilt, explains it.
In brief
A 14-year-old killed a classmate in a school toilet. The court says schizophrenia, not guilt, explains it. The judge accepted insanity, so the boy goes to a psychiatric hospital instead of prison, and Malaysia responded to the case by banning under-16s from social media. Originally reported by BBC News.
Acquitted, not free
A Malaysian teenager who fatally stabbed a schoolmate has been acquitted of murder. The judge found he was of unsound mind at the time of the killing.
The girl who died
Yap Shing Xuen, 16, was stabbed multiple times in a toilet at their secondary school outside Kuala Lumpur. The boy was 14 when it happened.
Not denied, explained
Defence lawyers never disputed that he killed her. They argued years of untreated mental illness meant he should be acquitted on grounds of insanity.
Delusions since age nine
A psychiatrist testified the boy has schizophrenia and had experienced delusions since he was nine. His condition worsened during the pandemic and after he returned to school.
Hospital, then yearly reviews
He was ordered detained for treatment at a psychiatric hospital until doctors judge him fit to rejoin society, with assessments expected each year. Lawyers say he needs medication for life.
“neutral in emotion, but he understands what is going on”
A country bans the phones
A leaked note found on the boy set off a national argument about children and social media. Since June, Malaysia has barred under-16s from major platforms.
“almost all of these issues stem from the use of mobile phones and social media”
The one thing
The judge accepted insanity, so the boy goes to a psychiatric hospital instead of prison, and Malaysia responded to the case by banning under-16s from social media.
