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Teen accused in Mahdia dorm fire now facing 20 murder charges, further remanded
Kaieteur News – The 15-year-old girl who is accused of starting the deadly fire at Mahdia Secondary School female dormitory was on Tuesday slapped with a 20th murder charge.
The teen accused appeared via Zoom before Magistrate Sunil Scarce at the Mahdia Magistrate’s Court, where the murder charge was re-read to her, this time including the name of 14-year-old Sherana Daniels who is the 20th fire victim.
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, Eulanda Carter, Andrea Roberts, Rita Jeffrey and Sherana Daniels.
The girl was not required to plead to the charge and she was further remanded to the Juvenile Holding Centre. The matter was then adjourned to July 20, 2023, for report and statements.
This publication had reported that on May 29, the teen suspect made her first court appearance, when she was slapped with 19 murder charges and remanded. The day after the suspect was remanded, Sherana Daniels succumbed.
Some of the children who were killed in the Mahdia Secondary School female dormitory fire
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 the 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.
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