Judge in Guatemala finds six former officials guilty for the death of 41 girls in a 2017 fire incident at a government-run building.
In a landmark ruling, a Guatemalan court has convicted six former officials for their roles in the 2017 fire at the Virgen de la Asuncion Safe Home, a state-run facility for at-risk youth. The tragic incident claimed the lives of 41 girls and injured 15 others.
The convicted individuals, who held positions of authority, were found guilty of offenses including manslaughter, mistreatment of minors, abuse of authority, and breach of duty. Among them was a former social welfare secretary and a police officer who had the key to the locked room where the girls perished but failed to open it during the fire.
The fire, it was revealed, started when a girl, confined in a small classroom without access to a bathroom, lit a foam mattress in protest. The facility, located 14 miles east of Guatemala City, was overcrowded, with more than 700 children living in a building designed for a maximum of 500. This overcrowding, coupled with a history of abuse, prevented the girls from escaping the flames.
Former President Jimmy Morales is under investigation for his role in the incident, specifically concerning his order for police deployments at the facility. Prosecutors have requested sentences up to 131 years for some of those convicted, but the court has ordered a further investigation into Morales' involvement.
It's essential to note that the majority of the children living in the facility had not committed any crime. The girls were guarded by police and given foam mattresses to sleep on. A group of girls had escaped from the facility the night before the fire, only to be returned and locked in a room without bathroom access by the authorities.
The tragic incident has drawn attention to systemic abuse and mismanagement within Guatemala’s child protection system. Judge Ingrid Cifuentes, who presided over the case, has ordered an investigation into former President Jimmy Morales' role, hoping to bring justice and prevent such tragedies from happening again.
The conviction of a former social welfare secretary and a police officer, among others, highlights the intersection of politics, general-news, and crime-and-justice, as their roles in the 2017 Safe Home fire are under scrutiny, with potential sentences reaching up to 131 years. The investigation also extends to former President Jimmy Morales, who is suspected of mismanagement and negligence in the incident, shedding light on systemic issues within Guatemala's child protection system, which are worthy of ongoing public discourse.
