Two Secondary Schoolgirls Charged With Causing Hurt, Unlawful Confinement Of Schoolmate

SUNGAI PETANI, Aug 13 (Bernama) -- Two 13-year-old girls pleaded not guilty in the Magistrate’s Court here today to two charges of assault and wrongfully confining a schoolmate last month.

The Form One students entered their plea after the joint charges were read before Magistrate Mohamad Azlan Basri.

Lawyer N Nagaratnam, representing both students, told reporters that on the first charge, they are accused of injuring the victim in the school toilet at 6.40 pm on July 14. 

They were charged under Section 323 of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum jail term of one year, a fine of up to RM2,000, or both, upon conviction.

On the second charge, both accused are alleged to have wrongfully confined the victim at the same location, time, and date.

This charge was brought under Section 342 of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum imprisonment term of one year, a fine of up to RM2,000, or both, upon conviction.

Earlier, deputy public prosecutor (DPP) Nur Hazwani Md Nor earlier requested the court to impose a bail of RM4,000 for each accused.

However, Nagaratnam sought a reduction, citing that both accused are still students.

The court then set bail at RM2,000 each with one surety, with the condition that neither accused shall contact the victim. Mention was fixed for Sept 23.

Previously, the media reported that a Form One student at a secondary school here was believed to have been bullied by her schoolmates.

She was reportedly discovered in the school toilet, her hands and feet bound by a necktie and her mouth gagged with a handkerchief.

In a separate matter before the same court, two 15-year-old boys pleaded guilty to voluntarily causing hurt to a 16-year-old boy last month.

The boys’ lawyer, Farah Azlinda Zahari from the National Legal Aid Foundation, said they were accused of committing the offence at a school here at 12.15 pm on July 21.

They were charged under Section 323 of the Penal Code, which provides for imprisonment of up to one year, a fine of up to RM2,000, or both, upon conviction.

The court did not impose sentencing pending the status of their character reports, fixed for Oct 28.  Bail was set at RM1,000 each with one surety.

DPP Nur Hazwani Md Nor appeared for the prosecution. 

-- BERNAMA