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Girl, 15, on 19 counts of murder for Mahdia fire
Kaieteur News – A fifteen-year-old girl was on Monday remanded to the Juvenile Holding Centre, for the murder of the 19 children who died in the fire at Mahdia Secondary School female dormitory last week Sunday.
That fire claimed the lives of 18 girls and a 5-year-old boy. The teen suspect appeared via Zoom before Senior Magistrate Sunil Scarce at Mahdia Magistrate’s Court.
She was charged by police for murder, contrary to section 100
(1) (c) (iii) of the Criminal Law (Offences) Act, chapter 08:01. The accused was not required to plead to the indictable charges which stated that on Sunday May 21, 2023, at Mahdia Secondary School, Region Eight, she murdered Adonijah Jerome, Tracil Thomas, Lisa Roberts, Delecia Edwards, Lorita Williams, Natalie Bellarmine, Arriana Edwards, Cleoma Simon, Subrina John, Martha D’Andrade, (and twin) Mary D’Andrade, Belnisa Evans, Loreen Evans, Omerfia Edwin, Nickleen Robinson, Sherena Daniels, Eulanda Carter, Andrea Roberts and Rita Jeffrey.
Magistrate Scarce remanded the girl to the holding centre located in Sophia, Greater Georgetown and the matter was adjourned to July 4, 2023. Notably, the laws of Guyana protect the identity of juveniles criminally charged. Section 100 of the Juvenile Justice Act, stipulates that a person shall not publish the name or any information related to a juvenile if it would identify the child or juvenile as having been dealt with under the Act.
According to reports, around 23:00 hours on Sunday May 21, 2023, the fire erupted at the dormitory. The Guyana Fire Service (GFS) reported that the point of origin of the fire was in the south-western interior of the building, in the lavatory area. The Guyana Police Force (GPF) alleged that fire was reportedly maliciously set by the teen suspect, who was aggrieved over her phone being confiscated by the dorm mother, Carletta Williams and a teacher. At the time of the fire, there were 57 female students in the dormitory which is a one-flat concrete building measuring about 100 feet by 40 feet, with 26 heavily-grilled windows and five doors that were padlocked.
According to the GFS, when firefighters arrived on the scene, it was observed that the one-flat wooden and concrete building was engulfed in flames. A female student related to the police that they were asleep and were awakened by screams. Upon checking, they saw fire/smoke in the bathroom area, which quickly spread in the building, causing several students to receive burns to their bodies and smoke inhalation, whilst several managed to escape. This publication had reported that the fire fighters and public-spirited persons had to break the walls of the dorm to free the girls that were trapped in the inferno.
The injured students were taken to the Mahdia District Hospital and were examined and admitted by doctors. At the hospital, five of the female students were pronounced dead. A search was carried out in the building, which was completely destroyed by the fire, and the burnt remains of 14 human beings were found. Notably, the boy who died in the fire is the son of the dorm mother.
The Government of Guyana (GOG) on Friday obtained the Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) results matching the names of 13 bodies from the Mahdia fire tragedy that were previously not visually identified. The GOG is in a position now to release these bodies to the families of the deceased for funeral arrangements. Sabrina John was the first to be laid to rest.
On Saturday, a girl who was at the Georgetown Public Hospital reportedly in a critical condition was flown to New York to seek further medical attention.
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