Kota kinabalu: A perceived child-parent conflict was not a direct factor that led to the death of 13-year-old student Zara Qairina Mahathir, the Coroner's Court was told today. Consultant forensic psychiatrist at Hospital Mesra Bukit Padang, Dr Chua Sze Hung, 43, stated that the conflict was instead classified as a predisposing or indirect factor in his psychiatric evaluation regarding her death. According to BERNAMA News Agency, Dr Chua emphasized that the perceived child-parent conflict does not directly factor into the case. He identified the stressful interrogation and isolation as the direct factors contributing to the incident. Dr Chua shared these insights while responding to questions from Deputy Public Prosecutor Dacia Jane Romanus before Coroner Amir Shah Amir Hassan. Dr Chua elaborated on the assessment of the victim's internal mental state, noting that verbal interactions can be less accurate indicators as adolescents often mask their distress to conform, presenting a "false self" outwardly. He highlighted the importance of personal diaries as a more genuine self-representation, free from social pressures and judgment. During cross-examination by counsel Datuk Rizwandean M Borhan, representing Zara Qairina's mother, Dr Chua agreed that it was his first time hearing 35 audio conversations recorded between the deceased and her mother from March 6 to July 10 last year. When asked about the value of these audio clips in assessing their relationship, he maintained that verbal interactions are less significant compared to the victim's diaries due to the potential for projecting a false self. Rizwandean also questioned whether Dr Chua and his team had declined to view videos, photographs, and audios offered by the mother and her lawyer during an interview session. Dr Chua clarified that they did not refuse the materials but felt the available information, particularly the diaries, was already sufficient and more representative. Zara Qairina died at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital on July 17, 2025, a day af ter being found unconscious in a drain near her school dormitory at around 4 am. On August 8, 2025, the Attorney General's Chambers issued an order to exhume her body for a post-mortem, followed by an inquest order on August 13 after reviewing the police investigation report. The inquest is set to continue tomorrow.