A Malaysian teenage boy charged with the murder of a female schoolmate has been acquitted after a judge ruled he was mentally unsound during the incident. The boy, who cannot be named under Malaysian law, had fatally stabbed 16-year-old Yap Shing Xuen in a toilet at their secondary school on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur.
During the trial, defence lawyers argued the boy had suffered from poor mental health for years, with an expert witness testifying he had schizophrenia and experienced delusions since the age of nine. The boy had pleaded not guilty to the murder charge.
On Monday, the judge ordered the boy's acquittal but also mandated his detention and treatment at a psychiatric hospital. He will remain at the hospital until deemed fit for release and will likely be subject to yearly assessments.
The high-profile killing, which occurred nearly a year ago, shocked Malaysia and prompted a nationwide conversation about the negative effects of social media on children. Authorities have since implemented new rules, including banning children under 16 from major social media platforms since June, to protect children and reduce their exposure to harmful online content.