KOTA KINABALU: The Zara Qairina Mahathir tragedy has affected not just the teen's family, but many others.
These included the five minors who were accused of verbal abuse and bullying of the 13-year-old prior to her death, said Joan Goh, the lawyer for one of the girls.
In a statement after the conclusion of the inquest into Zara Qairina's death, where Amir Shah Amir Hassan, acting as coroner, set Jan 15 to deliver his verdict, she asked the public to refrain from drawing conclusions and making unwarranted accusations.
She said the public should allow the judicial process to take its proper course without resorting to sensationalism or speculation.
She said the tragedy had affected not only Zara Qairina's family but also the children caught in the midst of intense public scrutiny.
Zara Qairina died on July 17 last year, a day after she was found lying unconscious on the ground floor of SMKA Tun Datu Mustapha hostel.
"Our thoughts remain with the family of Zara. After all this is still a tragic loss to the family.
"However, the pursuit of justice for Zara must never come at the expense of justice for others.
"Whilst we fully respect the public's concern and desire for justice, it is equally important to remember that these are children whose rights, welfare and future must also be protected," Goh said in a statement.
Speaking to reporters, Goh's colleague Prem Elmer Ganasan said the 96-day inquest must be fair to reflect all evidence adduced by the individuals and respective experts in the field.
He said among them were forensic pathologist psychiatrists, investigating officer among others.
"We would like to thank all parties involved through these 96 days of inquest into the death of the late Zara," he said, adding that he was delivering the message on behalf of his team leader Datuk Ram Singh.
The team of conducting officers comprises former Sabah prosecution director and now Melaka prosecution director Nahra Dollah as well as deputy public prosecutors Mohd Fairuz Johari, Dana Arabi Wazani, Sofia S Sawayan, and Dacia Jane Romanus.
Zara Qairina's mother Noraidah Lamat was represented by Shahlan Jufri, Datuk Rizwandean Bukhary M. Borhan, Mohd Luqman Syazwan Zabidi Md Zain, Mohd Syarulnizam Mohd Salleh, Farrah Nasser and Elhanan James.
The girl's father Mahathir Mohd Hashim, meanwhile, was represented by Sherzali Herza Asli, Nurul Rafeeqa Afdul Mutolip, and Clarice Vyone Conrad.
Azhier Farhan Arisin, Abdul Fikry Jaafar Abdullah, Mohammed Fareez Mohammed Salleh, and Sylyester Kuan acted for Students B, C, D and E.
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