One of the students accused of bullying Zara Qairina Mahathir took 19 days’ sick leave from school before eventually transferring out of SMKA Tun Datu Mustapha, the coroner’s court heard today.
Head warden Azhari Abd Sagap, the eighth witness, said the mother of the student referred to in the inquest as student A sent him two medical certificates via WhatsApp.
“On July 28, the mother of student A sent a medical certificate for July 28 to Aug 4.
“On Aug 7, she sent a new certificate for Aug 8 to Aug 18,” Astro Awani reported him as saying in response to questioning from lawyer Joan Goh, representing one of the students accused of bullying Zara.
Azhari said student A’s mother also asked him to give her child leave on July 26, saying her child was traumatised from alleged harassment by Zara’s mother via WhatsApp.
“She said her child was traumatised and warned me that action would be taken if her child’s name continued to be mentioned. I advised her to report the matter directly to the investigating officer,” he said.
The inquest before coroner Amir Shah Hassan continues next Monday, involving student witnesses.
Yesterday, Azhari told the court that one of the students charged on Aug 20 with verbally abusing Zara was no longer staying in the same dormitory due to trauma.
He said besides student A, the other four students were still at SMKA Tun Datu Mustapha and had been called in for counselling sessions and to give their statements.
Zara, 13, died at Queen Elizabeth Hospital on July 17, a day after she was found unconscious in a drain near her school hostel at 4am.
On Aug 13, the Attorney-General’s Chambers ordered that an inquest be held after reviewing the investigation report submitted by the police.
This followed its order on Aug 8 for the exhumation of Zara’s remains for an autopsy.
