Teen badly injured in assault by 20 schoolmates

KULIM: A 16-year-old boy was admitted to a private hospital in Butterworth, Penang, with a swollen abdomen and face, as well as fractured fingers after he was allegedly beaten up by about 20 of his schoolmates.

The Form Four student was cornered in the bathroom and canteen before being beaten up with a PVC pipe following a verbal exchange on Aug 7.

His father, 41, said he was baffled as to how his son could have been beaten up in the canteen without anyone stepping in to help.

“I took him to lodge a police report when he came home with bruises on his body and face.

“He did not say much about the beatings, so we thought it was not that serious at that time.

“It was only on Friday when I noticed that his face and abdomen were swollen, so I admitted him to the private hospital on that day,” he said yesterday.

The father added that the medical check also revealed that his son had fractured two fingers.

“His spinal cord also became misaligned due to the beatings.

“He now finds it hard to walk or carry out any physical activities, and he has been on medical leave since the incident.

“This is not the first time that such a thing has happened.

“I raised the matter with the school a number of times before but nothing was done,” he said.

Kulim OCPD Supt Ahmad Nasir Jaafar said six boys were recently questioned in connection with the incident.

“We have since sent the investigation papers to the DPP for further action.”

The school principal could not be reached, but it is learnt that three of the six boys have been suspended from school.

State Education Department director Datuk Azuyah Hasan could not be reached for comments.

The incident occurred almost two months after T. Nhaveen, 17, died on June 15 after being assaulted by his former schoolmates in Gelugor on the island.