What Happened to Irene Sofiya? Here's Everything We Know So Far About the Tragic Murder of the 16yo at a School

Over the weekend, Malaysians were shocked by the murder of a 16-year-old female student at a secondary school in Yong Peng, Johor.

The victim was identified as Irene Sofiya Mohd Khairool Faisal.

According to a report by Kosmo!, unrequited love is believed to be among the possible motives behind the murder, although this has yet to be confirmed by authorities.

The victim was found weak and covered in blood in the school hall

Image Credit: Sinar Harian

According to reports, the victim, affectionately known as Fiya, had gone to school on Saturday (3 October) to attend extra classes.

At about 5:30 PM, two of her friends went to her grandmother's house to ask about her whereabouts. It is understood that they became concerned after discovering Fiya's motorcycle parked on the school grounds, despite her being nowhere to be found.

Fiya's grandmother, Jameyah Rabani, 66, then asked her eldest daughter, Siti Nur Faeza, 45, to accompany the two friends back to the school to search for the teenager.

"We went around the school grounds together trying to find her. It was one of her friends who finally located Fiya in the school hall.

"I heard her screaming and shouting for me to come quickly after seeing a lot of blood," said Jameyah.

The grandmother added that when she arrived at the location, she found Fiya in a weak condition and covered in blood. However, the teenager was still responsive when she called out her name.

"I held her and called her name, 'Fiya', and guided her to recite the Shahada. She was covered in blood at the time. She managed to glance at me before her body went limp."

Irene Sofiya was an only child and had been living with her grandparents in Johor since she was nine years old after her mother, a doctor, passed away from cancer.

Father received news of daughter's condition while at work

Image Credit: Harian Metro

In a report by Harian Metro, Mohd Khairool Faisal, 42, said he only learned of what had happened to his daughter at about 6 PM after receiving a phone call from his sister.

"At the time, I was working in Bangi. I last saw Fiya two weeks ago, and she did not seem any different. She was cheerful and enjoyed learning," he said.

He also shared that he found it unusual that the school hall door was open.

"The door to the school hall was usually closed. I felt suspicious."

Meanwhile, one of Fiya's friends, known only as Rina, 16, said she never expected to be the one who would discover the victim.

In an interview, Rina said she became concerned when Fiya did not show up for the extra classes even though her motorcycle was still parked at the school. She added that she tried calling Fiya three times, but her calls went unanswered. She later went to Fiya's grandmother's house to check on her friend.

According to Rina, her suspicions grew while searching the school grounds after she noticed that the school hall door had been left ajar.

"I saw the door to the school hall open, which was strange because it was usually closed. I felt uneasy, so I called two friends to come with me and check inside.

"From a distance, we saw Fiya's legs near the bottom of the stage. When we got closer, we screamed and shouted for the security guard and teachers," she added.

Three 16-year-old male students detained

Image Credit: Utusan Borneo Online

In a related development, three male students were arrested several hours after Irene Sofiya was found on the school grounds.

All three suspects are believed to be students at the same school attended by the victim. One of them has been remanded for six days until Friday.

The case is currently being investigated under Section 302 of the Penal Code, which covers murder.

Education Ministry refutes viral claims surrounding the case

According to Education Minister Datuk Seri Fadhlina Sidek, several claims circulating on social media about the incident are false.

She denied allegations that Irene Sofiya had been dragged from the school's surau to the hall where she was later found, as well as claims that a broken window had been discovered in the surau and linked to the case.

Image Credit: Utusan

"These claims are not true. I urge everyone to be careful before sharing unverified information," she said.

Fadhlina also reminded the public to avoid speculating about the case, noting that the victim's family is grieving while several underage students are currently undergoing the investigation process.

"We are talking about a child who has lost her life, a family that is grieving, and several minors who are going through the investigation process. We should not add to the pain with speculation."

She added that the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) is continuing its investigation and that the Ministry of Education (KPM) will provide its full cooperation.

Featured Image Credit: Sinar Harian, Astro Awani