A 17-year-old student from Lahad Datu Vocational College was found dead in his dorm room on March 22 last year.
Months later, on August 22 this year, 13 of his schoolmates, aged between 16 and 19, were convicted of murdering the victim, Mohamad Nazmie Aizzat Mohd Narul Azwan.
One of the 13 accused was sentenced to life imprisonment
In a recent update, the High Court sentenced a former student from the same college to life in prison and 12 strokes of the cane after finding him guilty of murdering his dorm mate, Berita Harian reported.
As for the 12 other underage offenders, Judge Datuk Duncan Sikodol ruled that they be detained for a period to be decided by the Yang di-Pertua Negeri Sabah, in accordance with Section 97(2)(b) of the Child Act 2001.
“In this case, the accused, who was 19 at the time of the crime, along with 12 others, was convicted under Section 302 of the Penal Code, read together with Section 34, for the murder of their dormitory mate,” he said.
When delivering the judgment, the judge said that even though the prosecution had pushed for the death penalty against the now 20-year-old accused, the court believed he should be given a chance to turn his life around and become a useful member of society.
He noted that while being young can be a mitigating factor, it wasn’t enough to warrant a lighter sentence given the seriousness of the crime.
“Unlike the other accused who were still minors and tried under the Child Act, he is no longer considered a child under the law and must be sentenced under the Penal Code,” the judge added.
“Bullying has now reached the point of claiming lives”
Before handing down the sentence, the judge pointed out that school bullying isn’t something new, but it has now gotten so serious that it’s taking lives.
He said this case is a harsh reminder that bullying destroys lives, robs kids of their future, and crushes parents’ hopes.
“Parents send their children to school hoping they’ll get an education and a brighter future, but some come home traumatised, and some never come home at all,” he said.
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Also read: 13 Sabah Vocational College Students Found Guilty of Murdering 17yo Malaysian in Dorm Room
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This post first appeared on WORLD OF BUZZ.