# 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.
- Title: Malaysian boy acquitted of schoolgirl's murder · BBC News
- Summary: 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…
- Keywords: malaysia, mental health, schizophrenia, social media, youth crime, news, world, Malaysian, boy, acquitted, schoolgirl's, murder
- Source: BBC News — https://bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ce87qzrz7p8o
- Published: 2026-09-14T08:58:27.932+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: malaysia, mental health, schizophrenia, social media, youth crime, news, world
## 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
## Key takeaway

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.