KUALA LUMPUR — Five teenagers will be charged in the Kota Kinabalu Children’s Court on Wednesday in connection with the bullying of Form One student Zara Qairina Mahathir, the Attorney-General has confirmed.
Tan Sri Mohd Dusuki Mokhtar said the accused, all under the age of 18, would face charges related to the case at the Children’s Court in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.
“The five will be charged on Wednesday in relation to the bullying of the late Zara Qairina. They are all under 18 years old,” he was quoted as saying by Berita Harian.
The Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) earlier said in a statement that it had reviewed the police investigation papers and decided to proceed with charges against several individuals based on available evidence.
It stressed that the decision to prosecute for bullying would not affect the ongoing inquest into Zara’s death, which is being heard in court.
Police investigations into her death are continuing in parallel.
Zara was found unconscious at around 4am on July 16 after allegedly falling from the third floor of her school hostel in Papar, Sabah. She died the next day at Queen Elizabeth I Hospital in Kota Kinabalu.
Her body was exhumed on August 9 to allow for a post-mortem examination, following allegations that she had been subjected to bullying before her death. — August 18, 2025
