A Guatemalan court has found six ex-officials guilty in the 2017 fire tragedy that killed 41 girls in a government shelter, marking long-awaited justice for one of the nation’s darkest moments. The trial uncovered severe flaws and pervasive abuse of the country’s child protection system.
Convictions and Sentences in Shelter Fire Case
Judge Ingrid Cifuentes sentenced two ex-police officers and four ex-child welfare officials on Tuesday for offenses ranging from homicide, mistreatment of children, abuse of authority, to neglect of duty. All the defendants pleaded not guilty. Among the convicted, former social welfare secretary Carlos Rodas was given the toughest sentence of 25 years in prison.
One of the most damning aspects of the case was against former police officer Lucinda Marroquín, who had been in charge of keeping the key to the locked room where the girls were trapped during the fire. Marroquín received a 13-year sentence after telephone records confirmed she was speaking on her mobile phone while the fire took place. Marroquín was said to have responded to news of the fire with expletives, reportedly saying, “let them burn.”
The judge also mandated an investigation of former President Jimmy Morales for reportedly instructing police to labor at the shelter, which contained no-crime children who were brought there by other vulnerabilities.
Horrific Conditions at Virgin de la Asunción Safe Home
The blaze occurred on March 8, 2017, at the Virgin de la Asunción Safe Home outside Guatemala City. The shelter was overcrowded, accommodating about 700 children in a facility intended for 500. Some of the girls were sent there not for criminal activity but because they were victims of abuse, neglect, or their migration status.
The tragedy began after a number of girls had attempted to break out the previous night. They were forcibly brought back, locked in a small room without access to restrooms, and watched over by police officers. After hours of being sealed in, one girl burned a foam mattress in a bid to compel authorities to let them out. Despite the quick spread of fire, police dismissed pitiful calls for help and delayed opening the door for nine minutes, a delay that was fatal.
Abuse and Neglect Behind the Tragedy
The fire was the ultimate tragedy of years of abuses at the shelter, Judge Cifuentes said. Autopsies on some victims showed they had drugs in their systems, corroborating reports that children were administered sleeping pills to keep them quiet. Authorities had turned their backs on these conditions and reported abuses for years.
The court ruling brings some closure to the victim families, but it also serves as a reminder of the critical need to reform Guatemala’s child protective institutions. The fire is a stark reminder of the tragedy that can occur when vulnerable children are left vulnerable by those who have been entrusted with their protection.
ALSO READ: Who Is Scott Ruskan? Heroic NJ Officer Who Saved 165 Girls During Texas Flood Disaster
