Malaysian teenager acquitted of killing schoolmate

A Malaysian teenager has been acquitted of murdering his 16-year-old schoolmate. The high court ruled that the boy, who was 15 at the time of the attack last October in Selangor state, was of unsound mind. The defense successfully established a plea of insanity based on testimony that the boy suffered from severe schizophrenia. The victim, Yap Shing Xuen, sustained over 180 stab wounds and died from injuries to her neck and chest. The case had caused shock and horror across the country.

A Malaysian teenage boy has been acquitted of the murder of a 16-year-old schoolmate, Yap Shing Xuen, who was fatally stabbed in a school toilet near Kuala Lumpur. The judge ruled the boy was mentally unsound at the time of the incident. Defense lawyers argued the boy suffered from long-term mental health issues, and a psychiatrist testified he had schizophrenia and experienced delusions since age nine, with his condition worsening during the pandemic. The killing had shocked Malaysia and prompted discussions about social media's influence on children, with police suspecting it may have played a role. The boy, who is a minor and cannot be named, had pleaded not guilty to the murder charge.