Defence lawyer denies family statements in Irene Sofiya case, warns against fabricated social media posts

BATU PAHAT, Oct 15 — The defence counsel representing the 16-year-old student charged with the murder of classmate Irene Sofiya Mohd Khairool Faisal today disavowed any statements or apologies purporting to be from the boy’s family.

Lawyer Mohd Azlan Shah Mohd Allias stressed that the accused teenager’s family has maintained complete silence throughout the investigation, never releasing statements or publishing posts across any digital channels.

“The accused’s family denies their role in issuing or making any posts whatsoever on any platforms.

“Any posts containing unverified information, especially on social media, did not originate from the family,” he told reporters outside the Magistrate’s Court complex here today.

Mohd Azlan was addressing viral claims alleging that the accused boy’s family had sought an out-of-court meeting with Irene Sofiya’s relatives. The victim’s family had already dismissed those rumours on Oct 9, urging the public to stop amplifying fabricated narratives online.

The lawyer warned that the family would lodge police reports and initiate legal proceedings against individuals who continue to fabricate claims or fuel such rumours.

“The case is still ongoing and the court has not handed out any decision yet.

“The public should understand the country’s law and principles of innocence until proven guilty,” he said, urging netizens and media outlets to exercise restraint while judicial proceedings are underway.

Earlier in the day, court authorities barred filming and photography of the accused, a minor, in compliance with protections under the Child Act 2001.

Irene Sofiya, a Form Four student, was found dead with severe blunt-force trauma inside Dewan Sri Tanjung at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Dato’ Seth in Yong Peng around 5.50pm on Oct 3.

Police arrested her 16-year-old classmate shortly after and seized a 96-centimetre iron pipe along with bloodstained sports attire to assist in the capital murder probe. The teenager had been held under remand since Oct 4 before being brought to court today to face formal charges.