Girl accused of stealing teacher's handphone dies

BUTTERWORTH: The 14-year-old schoolgirl, who tried to hang herself after being accused of stealing a teacher’s handphone, has died.

Malaysian Tamilar Kural president David Marshel, who has been following the case since it happened, confirmed that the girl died in Seberang Jaya Hospital at about 3.30am on Thursday (Feb 1).

"A post-mortem will be carried out this morning before the family members are allowed to claim her body," he said when contacted.

Marshel added that he is at the hospital to help the family with the procedures.

The girl tried to hang herself with a shawl at her house a few hours after being accused of stealing her teacher's handphone last Wednesday (Jan 24).

She left a note to her parents saying that she did not steal the phone.

The teenage girl, who is the youngest of four siblings, also said she did not want to cause her family any more trouble.

She had been clinging on to life at the Seberang Jaya Hospital's intensive care unit comatose with brain damage.

Her father, who is in his 50s, said his daughter was brought home by the class teacher and her husband at about 6.15pm.

"They said that the theft was captured on CCTV but they could not confirm whether the girl in the footage was my daughter.

"And my daughter denied that she stole the phone when I asked her," said the former cook during an interview last week.

He said his daughter later locked herself in the room and when he opened the door, he found her unconscious with a shawl around her neck tied to some piping.

Those in need of a sympathetic ear can call Befrienders in the Klang Valley (03-7956 8145) and Penang (04-281 5161/281 1108). 

They can also email [e-mail].