SHAH ALAM: Police are investigating whether a community or online group may have influenced a 15-year-old girl accused of stabbing a fellow student at a secondary school in Banting.
State police chief Comm Datuk Shazeli Kahar said investigations are looking into whether discussions within social media or messaging groups could have triggered the act.
“Following the charging of the teenager, we detained a 14-year-old girl to assist in the investigation.
“She was later released after we found that she had no direct involvement in the incident.
“The girl who we detained was not a facilitator. She could have been among friends communicating in a WhatsApp group, exchanging opinions or suggestions that may have influenced the way the suspect acted,” he told a press conference yesterday.
The 14-year-old is understood to be from a different school although Comm Shazeli declined to disclose more details as she is a minor.
He also said police are investigating how photographs of handwritten notes, believed to be linked to the case, were circulated on social media.
“The notes are part of the case exhibits. Since they have appeared on social media, we are conducting an investigation into how they were leaked,” he said.
Comm Shazeli said the victim’s condition has improved and that she was discharged from Hospital Banting on July 13 after undergoing treatment and recovery.
In the July 6 incident, a 15-year-old Form Three student sustained multiple stab wounds after she was allegedly attacked by a peer at about 9.30am in the school compound.
Police said the suspect allegedly entered the school canteen area via a route from the surau before carrying out the attack.
The suspect, who had reportedly not attended school for several months and was undergoing medical treatment, was arrested and remanded to assist investigations under Section 307 of the Penal Code for attempted murder.
On July 10, the Telok Datok Magistrate’s Court ordered the teenager to undergo psychiatric evaluation at Hospital Bahagia Ulu Kinta in Tanjung Rambutan, Perak.
