Youth sent to Henry Gurney school for stealing from mosque

The teenager who was caught stealing from a mosque’s donation box and was “bathed like a corpse” by mosque officials, who also recorded the act and posted it on social media as punishment, has been ordered by the Selayang Magistrates’ Court to be sent to a Henry Gurney School after he pleaded guilty to stealing from a surau.

Magistrate Nur Hafizah Rajuni handed down the decision yesterday after examining the social report by the Social Welfare Department on Daniel Iskandar, now 20.

“The accused is a young offender. Therefore, the court orders that he be sent to the Henry Gurney School until he reaches the age of 21,” said the magistrate.

Daniel was ordered sent to the Henry Gurney School at Telok Mas, Malacca, yesterday.

He was charged under Section 380 of the Penal Code with stealing RM74 from the donation box of Surau Al Munir, Batu 17 Kuang, Rawang, at 12.44pm on Dec 5, 2020.

The charge provides imprisonment for up to 10 years, a fine, and additional whipping for a second or subsequent offence, upon conviction.

During mitigation, lawyer Suhaida Mohd Sobri, from the Selangor Legal Aid Department, said her client is a young offender and showed remorse.

“Before he was arrested, he worked at a car workshop and was cared for by his grandfather. His parents have divorced and he is the oldest of three siblings, with one of them a person with disabilities.

Welfare Department officer Mohamad Hanafi Sedi requested for Daniel to be sent to the Henry Gurney School, while deputy public prosecutor Wan Nur Iman Wan Ahmad Afzal requested a deterrent sentence.

On Jan 13 last year, Daniel was sentenced to 10 days in jail and fined RM4,000 for attempting to steal money from the donation box of the Al Islahiah Mosque in Kuang, Rawang.

However, on Jan 17, the Shah Alam High Court set aside the jail sentence and fine and instead, replaced the punishment with 120 hours of social service to be completed within six months, particularly at mosques.

- Bernama