00:01A trial of five teenage girls on bullying charges should be put off until an inquest is held to determine the circumstances that led to the death of schoolgirl Zahra Karina Mahathir, according to lawyers.
00:14M. Viswanathan said it was improper to begin the criminal proceedings when it was not known if bullying had contributed to Zahra's death,
00:22while Salim Bashir said it would be premature to conduct a prosecution of the five, as the trial would put the coroner's inquiry into question.
00:32Another lawyer, S. N. Nair, said the trial could be delayed to give way to the inquest, noting that charges could be amended or withdrawn depending on its outcome.
00:42Viswanathan said a proper investigation should examine the post-mortem report and all surrounding circumstances.
00:48Nair said the public prosecutor could also apply for the five accused to be granted a discharge not amounting to an acquittal pending the outcome of the inquest,
00:58adding that new suspects could be prosecuted if there was evidence of culpability.
01:04The coroner's inquiry into her death is scheduled to begin on September 3 at the Kota Kinabalu Coroner's Court.
01:10Five teenagers were charged in the Kota Kinabalu Children's Court on August 20th with uttering abusive words against Zahra Kairina, which could have caused her distress.
01:21Natasha Bust, FMT.
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