Guatemala sentences officials over 2017 shelter fire that killed 41 girls

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By Sofia Menchu

GUATEMALA CITY (Reuters) -A Guatemalan court on Tuesday sentenced six people to prison terms ranging from six to 25 years for their roles in a 2017 fire that killed 41 girls at a state-run youth shelter.

The defendants – two former police officers and four former child protection officials – were convicted of homicide, mistreatment of minors, abuse of authority and breach of duty.

The sentences mark a significant step in a national tragedy that drew international condemnation and exposed systemic abuse within Guatemala’s state shelters.

The fire broke out on March 8, 2017, at the Virgen de la Asunción Safe Home near Guatemala City. According to testimony, 56 girls were padlocked in a small room as punishment for protesting abuse and attempting to escape.

After hours inside, one girl set a mattress on fire, hoping to force guards to open the door.

Witnesses testified that despite the girls’ cries for help, police waited nine minutes to unlock the door. The blaze ultimately killed 41 girls and left 15 survivors with severe burns.

“I know my truth and the truth of my friends who no longer have a voice,” survivor Elba Contreras told the court last month. “The only thing I ask … is that you issue a fair sentence … confirming that these people are guilty.”

In her ruling, Judge Ingrid Cifuentes also ordered an investigation into former President Jimmy Morales, who was in office at the time. She cited a lack of jurisdiction for not ruling on charges against a seventh defendant, the country’s former children’s prosecutor.

(Reporting by Sofia Menchu; Editing by Brendan O’Boyle, Sarah Morland and Rosalba O’Brien)