KAPIT: Initial investigation into the shocking death of a Year One pupil who was allegedly beaten by his school senior has revealed a disturbing new detail.
Seven-year-old Jackson Nuing Awe was not only brutally assaulted in the pre-dawn incident at his primary school’s hostel on Aug 22, but he was also gagged with a blanket.
“The mouth of the victim was (stuffed and tied up) with a blanket. He (then) received several blows in the form of punches and kicks to his face and several parts of his body,” sources working closely with the task force set up to probe the case said.
Tension between the victim and the suspect, 12, who shared a room at the hostel with two other borders, had escalated when the former had allegedly insulted the assailant by belittling his father’s name.
“Things got out of control when the suspect became furious and acted aggressively against his junior,” the sources added.
It was reported that the hostel’s assistant warden, who was making his rounds waking up the children for the day, found the victim in his room at 5.30am, unconscious and with bruises on his face and body.
The victim was rushed to the health clinic here before his case was referred to the Kapit Hospital. He was subsequently transferred to the Sibu Hospital near here after his condition failed to improve.
Jackson died at 3.30pm on Thursday.
“A brain scan conducted on the victim showed that there was massive venous infarction on his brain,” the sources added.
The case is being investigated under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder, which carries the mandatory death sentence.
State police commissioner Datuk Amer Awal said a post-mortem will be conducted in the next two days.
“The Sibu Hospital is currently waiting for pathology experts to fly in from the Sarawak General Hospital in Kuching to conduct the procedure,” he said.
The task force for the case, led by Kapit district police chief Deputy Superintendent Freddy Bian, arrested the young suspect at his school and confiscated the blanket believed to have been used to gag the suspect.
The boy is currently being detained at the Kapit district police headquarters’ lock-up to assist in the probe.
“The suspect will be released on police bail after his statement has been recorded. This is because he is a minor and (is about to sit) for the Ujian Pencapaian Sekolah Rendah next month.
“We will also call up the school’s headmaster, teachers and warden to get a clearer picture of the environment at the school,” said Amer.
State Education Department director Rakayah Madon said a team from the Kapit district education office was sent to the school today to conduct its own probe into the case.
“We want to know what really happened and decide on the next course of action,” she said without elaborating.