Guatemala judge convicts 6 ex-officials in deaths of 41 girls in 2017 fire

Al Jazeera English

A court in Guatemala has sentenced six former officials to jail, for their role in the deaths of 41 girls at a state-run shelter in 2017.  The girls had been locked in a room when the fire started and despite their cries for help, they weren’t allowed out.   Al Jazeera's John Holman reports.  Subscribe to our channel: http://bit.ly/AJSubscribe Follow us on X: https://x.com/ajenglish Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera Check our website:  https://www.aljazeera.com Check out our Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/aljazeeraenglish Download AJE Mobile App: https://aje.io/AJEMobile  #Guatemala #YouthShelterFire #VirgenDeLaAsuncion #GuatemalaFire #JusticeForGirls #YouthShelter #HumanRights #AlJazeeraEnglish  # news #breaking #24x7

Transcript

00:00...out. Al Jazeera's John Holman reports.

00:0456 girls locked inside a small classroom in a shelter for vulnerable youth in Guatemala

00:11as a fire began to rage.

00:15For the police officers waiting outside with the keys,

00:19the decision to let them out should have been simple.

00:21It wasn't taken.

00:2441 girls died.

00:26Justice hasn't been simple either.

00:28Eight years later, the verdict in the trial has only just come.

00:36Six people, including the head of the home and the police officers at the scene,

00:41have now been sentenced to between six and 25 years in prison.

00:46For Kimberly, one of the 15 survivors, it's been an agonized wait.

00:53I'm very angry because they had enough evidence to do this from the beginning,

00:57without waiting and delaying the trial, because every time it was about to start,

01:02as if by magic, they'd come and say, this and this doesn't add up,

01:05or the accused would suddenly feel unwell that day.

01:08Meanwhile, she and the others have had to live with the physical and emotional scars.

01:12I have burns on my arms and parts of my hands and one on my shoulder,

01:20but I have companions who suffered burns all over their bodies and were left disfigured or with amputations.

01:26The girls were locked in the classroom because earlier that day,

01:29they tried to run away from a shelter which was meant to protect them,

01:33but in which they said they were abused and treated like prisoners.

01:36Despite that, the girls and their relatives say that during the trial,

01:41they've often been treated as the guilty ones for being in the home or having to place their daughters there.

01:49People have only pointed fingers wanting to make it seem that we are the ones to blame for the death of our daughters.

01:55Vianney's daughter Ashley died in the fire.

01:58Despite the sentencing, she still has this question of those who held the keys.

02:03What were these women really thinking?

02:07I mean, they are mothers.

02:09I know they are mothers.

02:10So why didn't they come and help them?

02:16Perhaps there are no answers now.

02:19And for many of the survivors and their relatives,

02:22this late sentencing won't be enough to bring closure.

02:26John Holman, Al Jazeera.

02:28Countries across southern Europe are battling wildfires fueled by searing temperatures.

02:33Don't miss out and get the full picture.

02:35Subscribe to Al Jazeera for reliable news and expert insights.

02:40Like, share, stay ahead.

Category

Transcript

Be the first to comment

Recommended