Zara Qairina’s inquest: Pathologist rules out beating, says injuries consistent with fall

THE forensic pathologist told the Coroner's Court in Kota Kinabalu on Thursday that the injuries sustained by schoolgirl Zara Qairina Mahathir were not consistent with a beating but pointed to a fall from height.

Dr Jessie Hiu, who conducted the post-mortem, said fractures to the 13-year-old’s spine required high impact but lacked the soft tissue damage normally seen in victims of repeated blows.

“The injuries in this case are consistent with fall of height… not chronic physical abuse,” she testified, adding that Zara landed on her feet before falling backward and striking her head.

Hiu said there were no signs Zara had been dragged, apart from minor abrasions on her forearm and elbow. The cause of death, certified by a neurosurgeon, was severe traumatic brain injury with hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy, she added.

When pressed by defence lawyer Ram Singh after court resumes after lunch, on whether the death could have been suicide, Hiu replied: “That is for the Court to decide.”

The court had earlier viewed reconstruction photographs in which medical officer Dr Lau Cheng Cheng demonstrated how a person could climb onto the dormitory ledge and hold the suspended grill above the railing.

Singh suggested Zara could have done the same, but Hiu said the wall and grill were above Zara’s centre of gravity, making an accidental fall or simple push unlikely.

Hiu told the court her reconstruction was based on the autopsy and an August 2 scene visit with police officers and medical staff. Police had shown her the alleged spot where Zara was found and provided a photograph of her body.

The inquest heard that some hospital records, including CT and CTA scans, were missing from the case bundle. Prosecutors said the scans existed but had not yet been formally requested, and the doctor responsible would be called to testify next week.

Earlier, when asked by lawyer Rizwandean M. Borhan, who represents Zara’s mother, Hiu acknowledged she was not an expert in fall biomechanics and could only speak to injuries and trauma mechanisms.

The inquest, presided over by Sessions Court Judge Amir Shah Amir Hassan, will resume on Monday. - Sept 4, 2025