TWO 13-year-old schoolgirls have been charged in the Sungai Petani Magistrates’ Court for allegedly assaulting and unlawfully confining a fellow student in a school toilet last month.
The pair pleaded not guilty after both charges were read to them in Tamil before Magistrate Mohamad Azlan Basri.
According to the first charge, the girls are accused of jointly causing hurt to a female classmate of the same age at the Sixth Form block toilet of their secondary school at around 6.40pm on 14 July.
The charge falls under Section 323 of the Penal Code, read together with Section 34, which provides for a maximum one-year jail term or a fine of up to RM2,000, or both, upon conviction.
The second charge alleges that the girls wrongfully confined the victim at the same time and location, under Section 342 of the Penal Code, also read with Section 34. The offence carries a similar penalty of up to one year in prison, a fine of RM2,000, or both.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Nur Hazwani Md Nor proposed bail of RM4,000 for each accused. However, defence counsel N Nagaratnam appealed for a lower amount, citing that both girls are still in school and have cooperated fully with police investigations.
The court granted bail at RM2,000 each with one surety and instructed that both accused are to refrain from contacting or harassing the victim throughout the duration of the case.
The next court mention has been scheduled for 23 September.
The incident, which drew public attention, was first reported on 19 July, when a Form One student was discovered bound at the hands and feet with a school tie, and her mouth gagged with a handkerchief inside a school toilet.
She was later treated in hospital for minor injuries to her limbs and is reported to be suffering from psychological trauma following the ordeal. - August 13, 2025
