Four teenage boys have been charged with arson, accused of setting the fire which destroyed the St Angela’s Girl’s Hostel in Karasabai, Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) on June 1.
On Tuesday, they were arraigned before Magistrate Alan Wilson at the Lethem Magistrate’s Court.
The juveniles were charged with setting fire to a public building.
Bail was refused for each of them and they were remanded to the Juvenile Holding Centre.
The Juvenile Justice Act prohibits the publication of the accused’s photographs and particulars.
The Guyana Police Force (GPF) has reported that all 19 children housed at the hostel were safely evacuated from the building. The fire occurred between 02:30h and 03:00h.
Despite firefighters from Lethem and Georgetown being dispatched to aid in putting out the blaze, it destroyed much of the building and its contents.
The hostel was built and managed by the Catholic Church through a self-help initiative, and it aimed to ease the burden on students living with guardians in the village.
Several students who occupied the hostel hailed from far-flung communities within the district.
Four male students had threatened to set fire to the building after they were chased from the premises by the caretaker. Making good on their promise, the school was set alight, leading Karasabai Police Station authorities and villagers to immediately form a bucket brigade and extinguish the fire, while the 19 students made their way to safety.
Following the fire, the four boys were contacted and interviewed by the Police in the presence of the Commander of Region Nine, the Regional Education Officer of Region Nine, and their parents, during which they all reportedly confessed to the planning and execution of the crime.
On May 21, 19 female students and a five-year-old boy tragically died in the fire that engulfed the Mahdia Secondary School girls’ dormitory in Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni).
A fifteen-year-old girl has been charged and remanded on several murder charges over her alleged involvement in starting this fire. This case has been adjourned until July 4.
Initial reports indicated that this student had her cell phone confiscated, and was previously suspended for engaging in activities contrary to the rules of the institution, after which she allegedly threatened to cause “trouble” during an argument with the administrators.
