This morning, the 14-year-old suspect behind the brutal stabbing of 16-year-old Yap Shing Xuen at a secondary school in Bandar Utama was charged with murder in court.
While there was much elation over the teen being eventually brought to justice, a lawyer has stepped forward seemingly in defense of him, claiming that the suspect had been victimised due to the incident.
‘He’s a victim as well’
The statement was made by Kitson Foong, who attended court proceedings today as an amicus curiae (a friend of the court).
Speaking to reporters at the Petaling Jaya Magistrate’s Court, he said the court allowed the suspect to undergo psychiatric evaluation at Hospital Bahagia Ulu Kinta to determine his mental state at the time of committing the offence.
He also expressed relief over the court granting the request, adding that everyone, including the suspect, was a victim.
I know someone did lose their life, but in my view, given the accused’s circumstances, he too is a victim.
“As such, I hope experts can provide their opinions so that a more comprehensive understanding of the possible reasons behind the suspect’s behaviour can be revealed,” he said as quoted by China Press.
What happened in court
This morning, the suspect, who cannot be named due to him being a minor, appeared in court along with his parents and was charged with murder, where he was said to have displayed a “quiet and calm” demeanor.
He was also reported to show no visible emotions and simply nodded to indicate he understood the charge, which was read to him in Mandarin.
However, no plea was recorded from him as murder cases fall under the jurisdiction of the High Court.
The court set Nov 21 for the submission of forensic and pathology reports.
Under Section 97 of the Child Act 2001, the suspect will not be sentenced to death even if he gets convicted of murder.
Instead, he will be sentenced to detention at the pleasure of Yang di-Pertuan Agong (YDPA), the Ruler, or Yang di-Pertua Negeri depending on the place where the crime was committed in.
As for the length of his detention period, it is subject to yearly review for potential release by the Ruler or Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
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