The Crown has taken the rare step of filing a direct indictment against a 15‑year‑old girl accused of setting a classmate on fire, sending the case straight to trial in Saskatoon Court of King’s Bench.The move, approved by Saskatchewan’s attorney general and confirmed in court on Thursday, cancels a four‑day preliminary hearing that had been scheduled for July.Instead, a trial date will be set in the coming months.The indictment lists two counts, which are attempted murder for allegedly pouring a flammable liquid on another 15‑year‑old student and lighting it at Evan Hardy Collegiate on September 5, 2024, and aggravated assault for injuring a teacher who rushed to put out the flames..Under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, neither the accused nor the victim can be identified. Prosecutors have already given notice they will seek an adult sentence if the teen is found guilty.In previous court appearances, it was revealed that the victim suffered burns to 40% of her body and spent weeks in hospital. The teacher was treated for lesser injuries..Defence counsel entered not‑guilty pleas in youth court, but those must be repeated in King’s Bench when the trial opens. The teen had been in and out of psychiatric care last summer and reportedly told police she acted after hearing voices.If convicted as an adult, she could face life in prison, with parole eligibility to be set by the judge.
The Crown has taken the rare step of filing a direct indictment against a 15‑year‑old girl accused of setting a classmate on fire, sending the case straight to trial in Saskatoon Court of King’s Bench.The move, approved by Saskatchewan’s attorney general and confirmed in court on Thursday, cancels a four‑day preliminary hearing that had been scheduled for July.Instead, a trial date will be set in the coming months.The indictment lists two counts, which are attempted murder for allegedly pouring a flammable liquid on another 15‑year‑old student and lighting it at Evan Hardy Collegiate on September 5, 2024, and aggravated assault for injuring a teacher who rushed to put out the flames..Under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, neither the accused nor the victim can be identified. Prosecutors have already given notice they will seek an adult sentence if the teen is found guilty.In previous court appearances, it was revealed that the victim suffered burns to 40% of her body and spent weeks in hospital. The teacher was treated for lesser injuries..Defence counsel entered not‑guilty pleas in youth court, but those must be repeated in King’s Bench when the trial opens. The teen had been in and out of psychiatric care last summer and reportedly told police she acted after hearing voices.If convicted as an adult, she could face life in prison, with parole eligibility to be set by the judge.
