Death of student in Sabah: 5 teens to be charged in Zara Qairina case

KUALA LUMPUR – Five teenagers will be charged on Aug 20 in connection with the

bullying case of 13-year-old Zara Qairina Mahathir

, Attorney-General Mohd Dusuki Mokhtar said.

He added that the teenagers will be brought before the Kota Kinabalu Juvenile Court.

“Those who will be charged are under the age of 18,” he was quoted as saying by news outlet Bernama.

Tan Sri Mohd Dusuki said the teenagers involved will be charged under Section 507C(1) of Malaysia’s Penal Code, relating to the offence of using or making threatening, abusive or insulting words or communication.

The Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) said in an earlier ­statement that it had examined investigation papers into Zara’s death referred by the police and decided to charge several suspects based on available evidence.

It added that the decision to charge the suspects for the bullying offence will not affect the ongoing police investigation and inquest proceedings to be conducted in court.

On Aug 12, the AGC decided to hold an inquest to determine the cause and circumstances of Zara’s death, who was a student at SMKA Tun Datu Mustapha.

The Form One student died at Hospital Queen Elizabeth on July 17 after being found unconscious in a drain near the school dormitory in Papar on the morning of July 16.

Meanwhile, in Kota Kinabalu, the inquest into her death is set to begin on Sept 3, with her mother Noraidah Lamat expected to be one of the witnesses.

The dates for the inquest are Sept 3 and 4, Sept 8 to 12, Sept 17 to 19 and Sept 22 to 30.

Coroner Azreena Aziz approved the inquest dates following applications submitted by the conducting officers on Aug 18.

The court was told that 195 people were interviewed by the investigating team but not all will testify, and AGC will decide on the final number before Sept 3. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK