3 BOYS BEATEN BY 26 SENIORS IN COLLEGE
Two of them were allegedly forced to perform oral sex by their assailants
AGROUP of 26 students who went on a bullying spree at a vocational college here were arrested after three of their juniors claimed they were assaulted.
Two of the victims were hospitalised after sustaining serious injuries in the attacks between 10.30pm on Monday and 1.30am on Tuesday at the Wakaf Tembusu Vocational College in Kuala Nerus.
Of the three 16-year-old boys, two of them were also allegedly forced to perform oral sex by their assailants.
Following police investigations into the attacks, 26 students were arrested yesterday while all three victims were warded at Sultanah Nur Zahirah Hospital in Batu Burok.
The 26 students were later remanded for four days at the Kuala Terengganu magistrate’s court.
Terengganu education, science, technology and transformation committee chairman Abdul Latiff Awang said the first attack on one of the boys by a group of 11 was about 10.30am.
“Three hours later, at 1.30am on Tuesday, a second one was assaulted by 15 seniors,” he said.
“His close friend, who intervened when he heard screams, was also assaulted by the same bullies,” he said.
One of them, a state junior bowler, was critically wounded in the attack and warded at the intensive care unit.
Latiff said he was disappointed with the incidents as Terengganu, with a total of 230,000 students, recorded 16 serious cases for the first eight months of this year.
“Bullying, whether physical, mental, via social media or other means, can be traumatic to the victims and have a severe effect on their health.
“This has to stop. Although many cases appear to be insignificant, we do not want it to become a trend and become a more serious issue,” he said.
The parents of one of the boys lodged a report at the district police headquarters at 3.30pm on Tuesday.
District police chief Assistant Commissioner Idris Abdul Rafar confirmed the case.
It is learnt that the seniors bound the duo with blankets before repeatedly beating them with blunt objects.
The seniors had resorted to the drastic action after being unhappy with the duo’s behaviour for refusing to help them get food from the canteen.
One of the victims, a firstsemester student studying electronics technology, is said to have fainted twice after the heavy beating. He suffered heavy bruising all over his body as a result.
One of the victims said he was awakened by his friend who was screaming, and had gone to investigate.
“I discovered that his face was covered with a blanket as they bashed him. The seniors then dragged me to be beaten up for being a busy body, and I later vomited,” he said.
According to fellow students at the college, the victims were also forced to perform oral sex as punishment and the seniors warned others not to interfere or report the matter.