KOTA KINABALU: Zara Qairina Mahathir complained of sexual harassment that allegedly occurred while she was asleep in a dormitory, the Coroner's Court here heard.
SMK Agama Tun Datu Mustapha.assistant head of discipline, Nurul Syahadah Ibrahim, 38, said the disciplinary unit received the complaint on March 14, about a month after the student registered at the school.
"Yes, Zara Qairina lodged a complaint of alleged sexual harassment by a Form Two student while she was sleeping," she said on Monday (Dec 1).
However, she said, an investigation found that the older student had only examined Zara Qairina's blanket before taking it to be washed.
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"After recording written statements and interviewing all the students involved, the disciplinary unit concluded that the incident stemmed from a misunderstanding, and that the student had no inappropriate intention, acting only out of playfulness.
"I personally asked the student to demonstrate how she sniffed the blanket," said the 54th witness.
She was being questioned by lawyer Datuk Ram Singh, representing one of the five teenagers accused in the Zara Qairina bullying case, at the inquest proceedings before Coroner Amir Shah Amir Hassan.
Asked by Ram Singh whether she believed the Form Two student, Nurul Syahadah replied: "Yes."
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Ram Singh then asked if she believed the complaint made by Zara Qairina, and the witness said that the disciplinary unit required additional evidence because the complainant had been asleep at the time of the incident.
"We needed evidence from her roommates, namely Student A and the Form Two student. At that time, Student A was folding clothes," she said.
Regarding the claim that a senior known as "Kak M" had once said, "If I touch you, you will bleed," the witness clarified that the student was not a gangster.
Instead, she said the incident occurred after Zara Qairina and Student A had allegedly body-shamed the younger sister of "Kak M" by calling her names because the girl had a mole on her mouth.
Nurul Syahadah also confirmed that the "Circle 19" group still exists at the school, as its members are enrolled there, although they are prohibited from forming factions.
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She agreed that the group had used obscene language towards other students, but said she was unsure if a police report should be filed over the matter.
At this point, a visibly frustrated Ram Singh said he would lodge a police report on the group to prevent another death at the school.
He subsequently lodged the report at thae Luyang police station and urged the authorities to take action against the alleged group and the school.
Zara Qairina, 13, was confirmed dead at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital here on July 17, a day after she was found unconscious in a drain near her school dormitory.
The proceeding continues. – Bernama
