The police have detained 6 students from SMK Inanam and one former student after a video showing a gang beating their schoolmate went viral on social media on Friday (8 July).
According to Sinar Harian, the video went viral on WhatsApp and Facebook with many netizens urging the authorities to take action against the group of bullies.
In the 21-second video, the students can be seen circling the female victim and starting hitting and kicking her until she fell to the ground. Two of the bullies even held the victim’s arms to prevent her from running away while another hit her from the back.
Despite falling to the ground, the bullies continue kicking her until a student in a green shirt knelt beside the victim to defend her and asked others to stop their assault.
“Eh, that’s enough. You’ve beaten her to a pulp (lunyai kau tendang),” she said.
In response to the incident, Kota Kinabalu district police chief Zaidi Abdullah said all the suspects are aged between 13 to 17 years old. He also said that the arrest was made after the victim’s father lodged a report on Friday (8 July).
The police did not reveal the reasons behind the bullying incident.
Zaidi said the police are investigating the case under Section 147 of the Penal Code for rioting, which carries a punishment of up to two years in jail or a fine or both.
“The Kota Kinabalu Police takes this matter very seriously and will not compromise with any form of bullying or violence especially involving students,” he said.
“The police would also like to advise the public against uploading or circulating any videos that may cause concern in the community.”
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