Injuring eight Kuching dorm-mates with hot iron sees 14-year-old sent to reform school

Malay Mail

11-06-2025

KUCHING, June 11 — A 14-year-old boy who injured eight of his dorm-mates with a hot iron last month was today sentenced to a total of nine years in Henry Gurney School.
The Form 2 student pleaded guilty to three charges each before Magistrates Ling Hui Chuan and Syarifah Fatimah Azura Wan Ali, and another two charges before Magistrate Mason Jaro Lenya Barayan.
Each of the three magistrates sentenced him to three years at the reform school under Section 91(1)(f) of the Child Act 2001, after reviewing the Welfare Department's probation report.
In addition to the said provision, the courts also ordered for the boy's parents or guardians to visit him regularly in accordance with Section 93(1)(d) of the same Act.
Under Section 70 of the Child Act 2001, the courts also ordered that the boy be placed under the supervision of a probation officer for one year after completing his sentence.
According to the charges, the boy intentionally injured eight male victims, aged 13 to 15, between 12.30am and 2am at a secondary school hostel here on May 2.
All eight charges were framed under Section 324 of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years' imprisonment, or a fine, or caning, or any two such punishments upon conviction.
Based on the facts of the case, a teacher informed the school's head warden at 9.22am on the same day that a student had reported burns on his left arm, which at the time were believed to have been caused by hot water, and asked to go home for treatment.
Later, around 11.45am and 2.15pm, several more students came forward reporting injuries consistent with burns on various parts of their bodies, including their arms, calves, ankles, and necks.
This raised suspicions, as the injuries seemed to result from deliberate contact with a hot object.
A preliminary investigation by the school later pointed to the boy as the perpetrator.
When questioned by school authorities, the boy admitted to have deliberately used a hot iron on eight of his dorm-mates.
Police reports were subsequently lodged by the teacher, parents, and victims, leading to the boy's arrest on the same day.
The police investigation found that the boy had used the hot iron on the victims while they slept.
The injuries were recorded and verified by a specialist from Sarawak General Hospital and several eyewitnesses, including the victims, saw the boy committing the acts.
The incident is believed to have stemmed from the boy's desire to bully his schoolmates without understanding the consequences of his actions.
ASP Arman Ibrahim and Insp Nur Shafiqa Nyaie Ilin appeared separately for the prosecution.
The boy was represented by National Legal Aid Foundation lawyers Russell Lim and Brendan Ting. — The Borneo Post