Psychiatrist tells inquest Zara Qairina endured mounting peer pressure before death

KOTA KINABALU, June 26 — The Coroner’s Court heard today that Zara Qairina Mahathir had endured repeated emotional pressure linked to peer relationships in the months leading up to her death.

Consultant psychiatrist Dr Wong Haw Huo testified that the available material pointed to ongoing interpersonal stress, rooted in her relationships with others, rather than a single isolated incident.

His assessment was based on a comprehensive review of medical reports, post-mortem findings, inquest notes, personal writings, audio recordings, photographs, videos, digital communications and interviews with her parents.

Dr Wong revealed that between March and May 2025, there were mounting signs that Zara Qairina was struggling with tension among peers, emotional insecurity, fear of confrontation, anxiety over senior students and reports of mocking or humiliating treatment.

“By June and July 2025, the materials reflected progressive emotional distress, heightened rejection sensitivity, increased interpersonal vigilance and diminished perceived emotional safety,” he said, reading his witness statement during the inquest proceedings before Coroner Amir Shah Amir Hassan.

Dr Wong, the 75th witness called in the inquest, is a seasoned psychiatrist with some 12 years of experience.

He currently handles between 120 and 180 child and adolescent cases annually, about 30 per cent of which involve self-harm, and another 15 to 20 per cent involving suicidal thoughts or behaviour.

He told the court that Zara Qairina’s distress stemmed from a combination of factors, including her emotional vulnerability and the escalating pressures of boarding school life.

The situation, he said, was compounded by repeated misunderstandings, rumours, social exclusion, peer conflicts, accusations and experiences that Zara Qairina may have interpreted as humiliating, particularly in connection with the events of July 15, 2025.

Dr Wong stressed that the events of that day were especially significant, as they occurred when Zara Qairina was already in a fragile emotional state. Those events are believed to involve an alleged confrontation at her dormitory.

“Nevertheless, the available evidence supports a psychiatric formulation of cumulative interpersonal strain and acute emotional overwhelm within the context of the deceased’s boarding school experience,” he explained.

Dr Wong acknowledged that a definitive conclusion on Zara Qairina’s exact mental state or specific intent could not be reached, given that the assessment was conducted posthumously, without the benefit of a direct psychiatric examination while she was alive.

On the subject of Zara Qairina’s relationship with her mother, he noted that audio recordings of their exchanges revealed frequent communication, with the teenager often seeking reassurance, yet also moments of humour, warmth and genuine emotional connection.

“From a psychiatric perspective, the deceased’s mother appeared to function as a primary source of emotional containment, reassurance, interpersonal processing and psychological safety for the deceased,” he said.

Dr Wong added that while some of Zara Qairina’s writings did express anger or frustration towards her mother at times, other available materials did not suggest that their relationship had broken down.

“However, the available material did not support emotional neglect, indifference, rejection or a lack of parental attachment by the mother,” he said.

On Zara Qairina’s relationship with her father, Dr Wong said it appeared more limited and inconsistent during the material period.

“Based on the available material, the father did not appear to function as a primary or consistently available attachment figure for the deceased,” he said.

Zara Qairina, 13, died on July 17 at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, where she had been admitted a day earlier after being found unconscious near a drain at her school hostel in Papar at 4 am.

The Attorney General’s Chambers ordered her remains exhumed for a post-mortem on Aug 8, before announcing a formal inquest into her death on Aug 13.

The inquest will resume at 2.30 pm with the same witness. — Bernama