Teen Found Not Criminally Responsible After School Bathroom Stabbing; Court Orders Psychiatric Confinement

A Malaysian teenager was acquitted of murder after a high court found he was "not of sound mind" when he fatally stabbed 16-year-old Yap Shing Xuen in a school bathroom on Oct. 14, 2025. The Shah Alam High Court delivered its ruling on Sept. 14, ordering that the unnamed 15-year-old be confined to a psychiatric hospital for treatment.

Because the accused is a minor, his name has not been released. Defense attorneys told the court the boy had experienced mental health problems for several years, which worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic and further declined after he returned to in-person schooling.

Medical Evidence and Court Decision

An expert witness testified that the teenager suffers from schizophrenia. The court concluded that, at the time of the attack, he was not criminally responsible for his actions because of his impaired mental state and therefore could not be convicted of murder under Malaysia's legal standards for insanity.

Context And Possible Influences

Police and media reports noted a handwritten note found on the boy and later circulated online. The note reportedly referenced several well-known U.S. school shootings and the Japanese manga series Death Note. Authorities have suggested social media may have played a role in the incident, although direct causal links were not established in court.

"The responsibility, of course, goes back to parents and schools, but almost all of these issues stem from the unchecked use of mobile phones and social media," Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said after the attack, calling for tighter social-media controls.

In response to rising concerns about children's safety online, Malaysian authorities have moved to limit youth access to social platforms: since June, people under 16 have been prohibited from opening accounts on major social media services.

Family Response

After the ruling, the victim's mother, Wong Lee Ping, posted on social media about her grief, calling the day her daughter died the "darkest most unbearable day" of her life and saying a part of her heart is permanently empty. She expressed enduring love and sorrow for her daughter.

The court's order confines the youth to a psychiatric facility rather than a prison, reflecting the court's determination that treatment, not punishment, is appropriate given the diagnosed mental illness and the legal finding of insanity at the time of the offense.

Sources: Reporting from the South China Morning Post, BBC, The Independent and People informed this account.