KOTA KINABALU, Sept 4 — The forensic pathologist who conducted the post-mortem on 13-year-old Zara Qairina Mahathir testified today that she could not determine whether the teenager’s fatal fall was a case of suicide.
Dr Jessie Hiu, the first of 68 witnesses expected to testify, told the inquest that her role was only to explain the injuries and possible causes of the fall, but not to determine intent.
This was highlighted during a tense exchange with Datuk Ram Singh, a lawyer representing five teenagers accused of bullying Zara.
After Dr Hiu testified that it was unlikely Zara had accidentally slipped or was pushed while standing on the floor, Ram pressed her on the possibility of a self-inflicted fall.
Ram: If not an accident or a push while standing… there’s a possibility that the deceased fell on her own accord?
Dr Hiu: That is for the court to decide.
Ram: In short, whatever definition we use, could this situation be that the deceased did it as suicide? Not an accident, not a slip, not pushed. I am only asking for your opinion as an expert.
Dr Hiu: Same answer, it is for the court to decide.
Reconstruction and limitations
Dr Hiu explained that based on the location where Zara’s body was found, she would have had to either jump or swing from a grill above the railing to land at that specific spot. While certain it was a fall from a height, she could not confirm which floor.
She used a mannequin to demonstrate that Zara’s injuries — primarily to her left foot, wrist, side, and back — were consistent with a fall, concluding that Zara likely landed on her feet before falling backward and hitting her head on a concrete surface.
When questioned by Ridzwandean Borhan, a lawyer for Zara’s mother, Dr Hiu acknowledged the limitations of the post-mortem.
She said that light assaults like slaps or punches occurring before the fall could have left superficial bruises not visible during her examination, which took place weeks after the death.
“If superficial, and it doesn’t involve the tissue under the skin or muscle, I might not be able to see the injuries,” she said.
The inquest, presided over by Coroner Amir Shah Amir Hassan, concluded its second day at 4 pm. The hearing is scheduled for 19 days.
