A 17-year-old girl has been committed to stand trial in the High Court for the devastating Mahdia school dormitory fire that claimed the lives of 20 in 2023.
Magistrate Sunil Scarce, presiding over the Preliminary Inquiry (PI) at the Diamond Magistrates’ Court, ruled that while there was no direct evidence linking the teen to the crime, circumstantial evidence was sufficient for her to face a jury for the capital offence.
The ruling was handed down on February 14, 2025. It is alleged that during the course of arson committed on May 21, 2023, she murdered Tracil Thomas, Lisa Roberts, Delecia Edwards, Lorita Williams, Natalie Bellarmine, Arriana Edwards, Cleoma Simon, Subrina John, Martha Dandrade, Loreen Evans,

Belnisa Evans, Mary Dandrade, Omerfia Edwin, Nickleen Robinson, Sherena Daniels, Eulander Carter, Andrea Roberts, Bibi Jeffrey, Adanye Jerome and Sherana Daniels.
The police had disclosed that the teen was identified as a suspect after investigators were told that she set the fire after her cellular phone was taken away by the ‘dorm mother’ and a teacher.
At the time of the fire, there were 57 female students in the dormitory, a one-flat concrete building measuring about 100 feet by 40 feet.

According to the reports reaching this publication, fire/smoke was first spotted in the bathroom area. Unfortunately, it quickly engulfed the entire building, trapping many of the students and a five-year-old boy. Several of the students managed to escape with minor burns and injuries.
Those who were pulled from the burning building were rushed to the Mahdia District Hospital, where five of them were pronounced dead.

After the fire was extinguished, 14 burnt bodies were found. The death toll from the devastating blaze stands at 19 young girls and a five-year-old boy.
Samples that were sent to Mount Sinai Hospital in New York for DNA analyses, confirmed the identification of the dead children. The cause of death for each of them was given as smoke inhalation and burns.

A total of 29 female students were injured and were promptly assessed and treated. A 13-year-old girl, who was one of the two listed as critically injured, had to be transported to New York for urgent specialised care and is back home.