The court found six individuals guilty in the case of the fire in Hvatemali

• Six individuals received verdicts for the fire in the institution in 2017.
• The court also indicated to investigate the role of the former president.
• The tragedy highlighted problems of abuse in the system of institutions.

The Hvatemali court found six individuals guilty in the case of the fire in the institution for minors, which occurred on February 8, 2017. In this tragedy, 41 girls lost their lives, and another 15 sustained serious injuries.

Among the convicted are two former police officers and four former employees of the social service. They received terms ranging from six to 25 years in prison for crimes related to negligent homicide and abuse of office. All the convicted denied their guilt.

The court of Ingrid Sifuyentis also ordered an investigation into the actions of former president Jimmy Morales due to his role in directing police to the institution, where minors who did not escape the crime were detained. The fire occurred when the girls, who had no access to the toilet, were locked in a room.

Before the tragedy, one of the girls had alerted the authorities in an attempt to redirect police attention. As a result, the building and the room were quickly filled with smoke. The court noted that the fire was a consequence of systemic abuses, which were reported, but to which no one reacted.

Tags: Crime