JOHOR BAHRU, Oct 9 — Police believe resentment, including over rejected romantic advances, may have been among the motives behind the murder of 16-year-old Irene Sofiya Mohd Khairool Faisal at a secondary school in Yong Peng, Batu Pahat, on Saturday.
Johor police chief Datuk Ab Rahaman Arsad said, however, that the motive had yet to be established as investigations were still ongoing.
"Police believe the murder may have stemmed from the suspect's resentment towards the victim, including over his rejected romantic advances and her relationship with his best friend.
"However, this aspect will be examined further as part of the ongoing investigation," he told a press conference here today.
He said the 16-year-old male suspect, who was detained to assist in the investigation, was the victim's classmate.
So far, police have not identified any other individuals believed to be involved in the case.
Ab Rahaman said police had seized several items and recovered evidence around Yong Peng during investigations conducted between October 4 and 8, including an iron rod measuring about 96 centimetres long, believed to have been used to beat the victim.
He said one end of the iron rod was wrapped with a blue necktie, which was believed to have served as a handle during the attack.
"Based on the post-mortem report, we believe the blows were directed at the head, but there were also signs of injuries from blows to the body, hands and several other parts of the victim's body," he said.
He said police also believed a struggle had taken place between the victim and the suspect, based on evidence at the scene, where tables and chairs were found overturned and a flower pot had been broken.
There were also signs suggesting that the victim had attempted to defend herself.
However, he said investigations so far had found no indication that the flower pot was used as a weapon during the incident.
Apart from the iron rod, items seized as evidence included an iPhone 13 Pro, a Mizuno jersey, black trousers, a pair of Adidas slippers, an Alhua Technology decoder set, black tracksuit pants and a white-and-red sports shirt bearing the number 27, with stains believed to be blood.
Police also seized a canvas bag containing stationery, a backpack containing an Additional Mathematics textbook and a Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination paper bearing Irene Sofiya's name, a pair of spectacles, a Yamaha-branded key, an Owala drinking bottle, three student attendance sheets and a pink Casio calculator.
Ab Rahaman said all the items had been sent to the Chemistry Department for forensic analysis.
Asked whether there had been an attempted rape, he said investigations so far had found no indication of such an act.
He said the suspect had no disciplinary record at school, while any questions concerning the teenager's mental condition would be left to the court if he were charged and required to undergo a psychiatric assessment.
He said investigations under Section 302 of the Penal Code were almost complete, and the investigation papers were expected to be referred to the Johor Prosecution Director's Office today for further instructions.
On October 3, Irene Sofiya was found unconscious and covered in blood in a school hall in Yong Peng at about 5.50 pm. She was subsequently pronounced dead.
Following the incident, the suspect was remanded for six days from October 4 to assist in the investigation. His remand order was extended for another six days, beginning tomorrow.
