By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Oct 25: A psychiatric assessment of the 13-year-old suspected in the Kanowit stabbing case can be carried out before the court reaches a decision, says Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri.
According to TVS, she said the assessment was part of the Department of Social Welfare’s (JKM) responsibility to understand the child’s circumstances and any problems the child might be facing.
“The psychiatric assessment is a normal procedure and part of our responsibility to understand the problems faced by the child.
“We can conduct the assessment without having to wait for the court’s decision, but for actions involving legal proceedings, we must wait for the authorities’ official decision,” she told reporters after the Sarawak-level Breast Cancer Awareness Month celebration, today.
Nancy said JKM had visited the child’s family and was prepared to provide a report if required by the authorities.
However, the department was awaiting the outcome of the police investigation before deciding on further action concerning the case.
On the child’s future placement, she said JKM would assess whether the child could return to the family or should be placed in one of its institutions, depending on the circumstances and the court’s decision.
The case follows an incident on Oct 22, when the 13-year-old boy allegedly attacked a 69-year-old man with a knife at a public toilet in Kanowit. The victim sustained minor injuries to his left shoulder and received treatment at Kanowit Hospital.
Police are investigating the case under Section 324 of the Penal Code for voluntarily causing hurt with a dangerous weapon. — DayakDaily
