A 15-year-old boy has been freed from a murder charge after the Shah Alam High Court found that he was not of sound mind when he allegedly fatally stabbed his 16-year-old schoolmate at a secondary school in Bandar Utama last year.
According to Harian Metro, Judge Adlin Abdul Majid ordered the teenager to be detained and undergo psychiatric treatment at Hospital Bahagia Ulu Kinta, Perak, with the order subject to the consent of the Sultan of Selangor.
Court accepts defence of unsoundness of mind
The teenager’s lawyer, Kitson Foong, said the defence had successfully established the requirements under Section 84 of the Penal Code, which provides for a defence based on unsoundness of mind.
He said the defence had satisfied both the medical and legal requirements for mental incapacity, adding that the prosecution had failed to rebut the defence.
The court accepted evidence and a report from Dr Ian Lloyd Anthony, the director of Hospital Bahagia Ulu Kinta and a forensic psychiatrist, who found that the teenager had severe schizophrenia.
According to Foong, the condition caused the teenager to experience symptoms including believing that he was God and hearing voices.
He added that the main issue during the trial was not whether the teenager had carried out the physical act that led to the victim’s death, but whether he was mentally sound at the time.
Teenager ordered to undergo psychiatric treatment
The teenager will be sent to Hospital Bahagia Ulu Kinta to receive psychiatric treatment and medication. He will remain there until the Sultan of Selangor receives a medical report stating that he is ready to return to society and no longer poses a threat to the public.
Any future order for his release will be made by the Sultan of Selangor based on advice from psychiatric specialists.
Foong said the teenager would no longer be held at Puncak Alam Correctional Centre, where he had been detained since being charged.
Court reminds teen of second chance after fatal stabbing
The judge reportedly spoke directly to the teenager, reminding him that he had taken a life and stressing the seriousness of the matter. He also warned the teenager not to take his freedom and second chance for granted.
According to Foong, the teenager acknowledged that he had taken someone’s life and appeared to understand the gravity of the proceedings.
The court’s decision was also translated into Mandarin for the teenager, who reportedly understood the proceedings.
Teen’s mental state key to court’s decision
Foong said the court’s decision should not be viewed as an insult to the victim’s family, stressing that the defence recognised the loss of a young life.
He explained that the ruling was based on the charge, medical reports and expert findings, and did not mean the significance of the victim’s death had been disregarded.
The prosecution called 11 witnesses during the trial, including three children, a schoolteacher, the victim’s mother and a forensic pathologist.
The defence later called two witnesses, including the teenager and Dr Ian Lloyd.
The teenager was initially charged under Section 302 of the Penal Code with allegedly murdering the 16-year-old student in a girls’ toilet between 9.20am and 9.35am on 14 October 2025.
As he was below 18 when the incident occurred, the death penalty could not be imposed under Section 97 of the Child Act 2001.
The case ultimately centred on the teenager’s mental state at the time of the incident and the appropriate treatment following the court’s decision.
