On Monday (Sept 14), the Shah Alam High Court acquitted a 15-year-old teenage boy of murdering 16-year-old Yap Shing Xuen on grounds of insanity at a secondary school in Bandar Utama last October.
The decision was immediately met with shock from various parties who demanded the Attorney-General’s Chambers (A-GC) and prosecution to explain the outcome and consider appealing against the ruling.
Impassioned plea
Following the court ruling, Yap’s mother, Aapple Wong, wrote a Facebook post calling upon Malaysians to support and sign a petition urging the AG-C to file an appeal against the acquittal.
She added that while she respected the legal process and judicial system, she hoped that her family’s voice will not go unnoticed.
“For a family who has lost a daughter, it is only when we are actually faced with this situation that we truly realise how helpless this journey can be.
We are neither judges nor prosecutors. We are simply a family who has lost our daughter.”
Wong also implored Malaysians who “care about school safety, the rights and welfare of children and young people, and the voice of victims’ families within the judicial process” to support the appeal.
However, she clarified that she wasn’t asking anyone to prejudge the court’s decision.
“We only hope that the legal procedures that should be followed will be seriously considered, and that the right to appeal provided for by law can be exercised in accordance with the law.”
Demand for explanation
Meanwhile, Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching urged the AG-C and prosecution to arrange an official briefing with Yap’s family and their legal team regarding the court ruling.
In a statement, she said it was the AG-C’s prerogative to provide a clear explanation on the legal distinction between an acquittal on grounds of insanity under Section 84 of the Penal Code and a standard acquittal.
The Wanita DAP chief also called upon the AG-C to advise Yap’s family on whether the prosecution intends to file a notice of appeal within the mandatory statutory period of 14 days from the date of the order, and explain the legal merits or limitations of doing so.
“For a family that has lost their young child under such harrowing circumstances, hearing a verdict of ‘acquittal’, even one accompanied by mandatory psychiatric detention, inevitably brings immense pain, confusion and a feeling that full closure remains out of reach.
“Victims’ families should never be left to navigate the aftermath of complex court rulings in isolation or through news headlines alone,” she added.
Currently, the 15-year-old teen is being detained at Hospital Bahagia Ulu Kinta in Perak at the pleasure of the Sultan of Selangor.
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‘I’m Sorry, My Daughter’ — Yap Shing Xuen’s Mum Vows To Continue Fighting For Justice
