A 15-year-old girl was hospitalised in Malaysia after she was allegedly stabbed by a fellow student on Monday, officials said.
The incident occurred at a secondary school in Selangor state’s Banting town, the provincial education department said, adding that the victim was receiving medical treatment after suffering injuries to her left lung.
“The main focus at this time is to ensure that the injured student receives the best treatment and assistance is given to her family,” the department said, adding that it was assisting in the ongoing investigation.
Mohd Akmalrizal Radzi, district police chief of Kuala Langat, said the victim was in a stable condition and that they had detained the suspect.
It wasn’t immediately clear what caused the stabbing incident, Mr Radzi said. Some details about the incident was expected to be disclosed later.
The victim’s father said his daughter was likely not the intended target of the stabbing and was at the wrong place at the wrong time.
“She may just have been closest to the suspect at that moment. My daughter is slightly bigger in size and perhaps didn’t have time to run,” Muhammad Firuz Ibrahim said, according to The Straits Times. “Many other students managed to escape.”
He said his daughter knew the suspect and that they were classmates the previous year.
Addressing unverified online claims that the suspect was a former student who had been expelled, but had returned to cause damage in an act of revenge, Mr Firuz said: “As far as I know the student had not been expelled but was undergoing disciplinary action.”
Mr Firuz said his daughter never mentioned any incident of bullying or a dispute with the suspect.
He said his daughter was in hospital to remove the blood in her chest cavity but was conscious and able to speak. She had suffered injuries mainly on her back, face and lips, he said.
The Selangor education department called on counsellors and local authorities to offer support to students, teachers and school staff.
It also asked the public to not spread unverified information that could disrupt the police investigation.
