Rohani Wants Nhaveen's Alleged Killers To Be Charged As Adults

Rohani Wants Nhaveen's Alleged Killers To Be Charged As Adults - Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Rohani Abdul Karim wants the five teenagers allegedly involved in the death of T. Nhaveen to be charged as adults.

"I urge for this case to be dealt under the Penal Code and not the Child Act," she said when speaking to the press outside the wake held for Nhaveen at the Batu Gantung funeral parlour on Friday.

Rohani teared up as she spoke, saying that she was a mother too.

"The one thing his mother asked me was this to be the last case and not let it happen to anyone else's child.

"She is a single mother and they were a close family unit," she said, adding that the family had been given emergency aid to help with funeral expenses.

Earlier, Rohani was seen consoling Nhaveen's mother D. Shanti, who urged for justice to be served.

"My son is dead. Don't let this happen to anyone else's child," she said through tears.

Nhaveen, who was savagely beaten by a group of teenagers, passed away at the Penang Hospital at 5.31pm on Thursday.

The 18-year-old student, who dreamt of becoming a composer, was found unconscious at around midnight last Saturday in a field next to Jalan Kaki Bukit in Bukit Gelugor.

Nhaveen, who was also sodomised and burnt on his back, suffered internal bleeding in his head and abdomen.

His funeral will be held at 2pm Friday at the Batu Gantung crematorium.

Police have since arrested five suspects, aged between 16 and 18, over the attack.

Section 97 of the Child Act 2001 states that a person cannot be sentenced to death for a crime they committed as a child, which is defined as anyone under the age of 18.

Under Section 302 of the Penal Code, however, a person found guilty of murder faces a mandatory death penalty.