Zara S Inquest Pathologist Defers Suicide Ruling To Coroner S Court

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The lead pathologist who conducted a post-mortem on Zara Qairina Mahathir said she would leave it to the Coroner’s Court to determine whether the death of the 13-year-old schoolgirl was a suicide.
Dr Jesse Hiu made the remark in response to a series of questions from lawyer Ram Singh, who represents the first accused- one of the teenagers charged with bullying Zara. Ram had suggested the possibility of suicide after reviewing key findings from Hiu’s reconstruction of the fall.
Ram: From your testimony yesterday and today, you have stated that ‘in your opinion…’. My question is - if not by accident, not by push, is there a possibility the deceased jumped on her own accord, I mean, not by accident, not being pushed?
Hiu: What I meant was she was standing on the floor next to the railing. Not on top of the railing as shown in the photo.
Ram: If it is not by accident or not a push while standing or sitting on the railing, there’s a possibility that the deceased fell on her own accord?
Hiu: That is for the court to decide.
Ram: In short, whatever definition we use, could such a situation mean the deceased did it as suicide?
Hiu: Same answer. It is for the court to decide.
The questioning followed Ram’s argument about the suspended grill fixed above the dormitory railing, suggesting it was something Zara could have held onto before falling.
This came after the court viewed reconstruction photographs showing medical officer Dr Lau Cheng Cheng, who assisted in the effort, voluntarily climbing onto the concrete ledge and holding the suspended overhead grill.
The court was told the distance from the top of the railing to the lowest part of the suspended grill was about 128cm. Ram argued that, given Zara’s height of 154cm, she would have needed to bend lower when standing in front of it.
Hiu maintained that her reconstruction of the fall was based on the height of the dormitory wall and the horizontal metal grill from the floor, not the suspended grill.
ADSShe noted that the height of the dormitory wall was above Zara’s centre of gravity, making it unlikely that the fall was accidental or the result of a simple push. The wall measured 118cm, compared to Zara’s height of 154cm.
Hiu had visited the hostel on Aug 2 with medical officers Dr Muhammad Uzair and Lau, accompanied by investigating officers Rosli Rasi, Wong Yew Zhong and Desmond Tanggapan.
She told the court her conclusions, later set out in the post-mortem and her witness statement, were based on measurements and observations made during that site visit.
Her reconstruction drew on both the autopsy findings and the scene inspection, while relying on police officers to identify the location where Zara was found and to provide a photograph of her body at the scene.
Cause of death
Hiu testified that Zara’s injuries showed she had landed on her left foot, then her right, before falling backwards and striking the back of her head.
The impact force travelled upwards, causing fractures to her lumbar vertebrae and internal bleeding, while her brain injuries were consistent with deceleration trauma rather than a localised blow.
She told the court that the cause of death, certified by a neurosurgeon, was severe traumatic brain injury with hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy.
Ram also questioned Hiu on whether Zara had been treated with the anti-seizure drug phenytoin, pointing to her witness statement mentioning its use for seizures. Hiu replied that she did not know if the drug was administered in this case, explaining that it was routine for patients with severe brain injuries.
Pressed on whether the injuries could have been caused by assault or prolonged abuse, Hiu replied: “No. The injuries in this case are consistent with a fall from height… not chronic physical abuse.”
She explained that injuries from abuse are usually scattered and of varying ages, whereas Zara’s were consistent with a single high-force fall.
She further said that the severe fractures to Zara’s feet could not have resulted from kicking or beating, as such force would have left significant damage to the skin and soft tissue, which was absent.
Hiu also observed that there were no signs that Zara was dragged after the fall, apart from minor abrasions on her forearm and elbow.
She added that she could not ascertain from which floor Zara had fallen, but said the third floor was consistent with the information given, as it was where the teenager's dormitory and bathroom were located.
The distance from the ground floor to the third floor of the dormitory is 10.5 metres.

Hospital records
The inquest also heard that some of Zara’s hospital records had yet to be provided. Hiu confirmed she had only reviewed admission notes from July 16 and 17, saying earlier records were not made available.
Queen Elizabeth HospitalLawyers, including those representing Zara’s mother, pressed on the absence of CT and CTA scans, which they argued were vital to assessing her condition on arrival at Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
Prosecutors acknowledged that certain records were missing from the case bundle. They told the coroner that while a CT scan existed, it had not been formally requested, and that the doctor responsible for the imaging would be called to testify the following week.
Earlier, when questioned by lawyer Rizwandean M. Borhan, who represents Zara’s mother, Hiu acknowledged her limitations, saying that although there is a field of study known as fall biomechanics, she was not qualified in it and could only address the injuries and trauma mechanisms.
The inquest ended at 4pm and will resume on Monday. Before adjourning, Rizwandean raised concerns that some reports on evidence, including diaries, had not yet been submitted.
Conducting officers said the items had been sent for chemical analysis to determine their authenticity and would be returned soon. - Mkini

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