Police Say 9-Year-Old Slashed His Younger Brother’s Neck Due To Alleged Online Gaming Influence

Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and WhatsApp for the latest stories and breaking news.

Police are investigating whether the popular online game, Roblox, may have influenced a 9-year-old boy to allegedly slash his 6-year-old brother's neck with a knife in Batu Pahat earlier this week

Johor police chief Datuk Ab Rahaman Arsad said initial investigations indicated that the boy had been "obsessively" playing Roblox before the incident, which occurred early on Monday, 27 October, at Kampung Parit Nipah Laut in Parit Raja.

"Preliminary findings suggest the injuries were inflicted by the boy's 9-year-old sibling. The motive is still under investigation, but we discovered that he had been playing Roblox excessively on his mobile phone," Rahaman was quoted as saying by the New Straits Times.

He said the boy had reportedly accumulated nearly one million points in the game before his younger brother accidentally damaged his phone, causing him to lose his progress.

"During questioning, the boy claimed he began experiencing hallucinations that night, as if instructed to harm his family members. He then took a knife and attacked his younger brother," he said.

The Johor police chief, however, explained that the police are conducting investigations to verify the minor's statement.

The boys' parents, both in their 40s, have since been remanded for two days to assist with the investigations

They are being investigated under Section 326 of the Penal Code for voluntarily causing grievous hurt and Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act 2001 for neglecting a child.

Both parents were remanded for two days by the Batu Pahat Magistrate's Court earlier today, 29 October.

According to their lawyer Muhamad Izwan Ishak, police requested the remand to record statements from both suspects, citing conflicting accounts.

"The remand was also needed to wait for a report from [the Social Welfare Department] to temporarily place the couple's children under care, and to verify whether there are other criminal elements involved," he said.

The 6-year-old victim is currently receiving treatment at Sultanah Nora Ismail Hospital and is reported to be in stable condition

However, police have not yet been able to record his statement as he has not yet fully recovered.

Meanwhile, Rahaman said that the investigation papers have been referred to the state Legal Adviser's Office for further action.