A Saskatoon judge has accepted a joint submission from the Crown and defence, imposing a three-year youth sentence on a now 16-year-old girl who tried to kill a fellow student by setting her on fire.
Giving her decision on Monday in Saskatoon Court of King’s Bench, Justice Krista Zerr touched on how the crime has left many people dealing with grief, anger and fear.
The victim, who was 15 at the time, watched the proceedings from another room in the courthouse. Her mother wiped away tears after the sentence was announced.
The offender, who cannot be identified under provisions of the Youth Criminal Justice Act,
to attempted murder in connection with the incident at Evan Hardy Collegiate during the first week of school in September 2024.
Last month, the Crown and defence
proposed the three-year youth sentence
on the attempted murder charge, followed by a concurrent 12-month term for injuring a teacher who came to the victim’s aide.
Lawyers requested the teen receive no credit for the time she has served in custody.
The joint submission will see the girl serve two years in custody and one year under community supervision. The sentence is part of the Intensive Rehabilitative Custody and Supervision (IRCS) program, a treatment sentencing option for youth with established mental health issues who commit violent crimes.
Legal aid lawyer Fola Adelugba said her client was remorseful and “understands the gravity of what’s occurred.” She described the proposed sentence as “lengthy” and “consequential,” allowing the offender to access supports and programming that she wasn’t getting before being arrested.
During the girl’s sentencing hearing, Crown prosecutor Zachary Huywan told court that she was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and pyromania disorder. Reports found she is not a “high functioning individual.”
The offender offered an apology in court, saying “I know sorry is not enough.”
“(The victims) have shown you how hurt they are,” Zerr told the girl on Monday.
Outside court, Crown prosecutor Zachary Huywan said the sentence is the maximum for attempted murder under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.
He said the Crown did not pursue an adult sentence — which carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment for attempted murder — citing a Supreme Court decision that said an offender’s “cognitive” age must be considered when seeking an adult sentence for a person under the age of 18.
The assault
On a lunch break during the first week of school at Evan Hardy Collegiate, the offender, 14 at the time, poured flammable liquid from a water bottle on the 15-year-old victim and used a lighter to set her on fire.
Witnesses saw flames spread from the victim’s face to the rest of her body. Firefighters and paramedics arrived within minutes. A school resource officer was able to arrest the teen shortly after.
In an agreed statement of facts, court previously heard that the summer before the attack, the offender obsessively texted the victim and a friend of the victim, who the offender blamed for breaking up their friendship.
During their investigation, officers found a journal in the offender’s locker in which she wrote that the victim “was going to die today.” She told police she had thought about setting other students on fire, too.
The victim was hospitalized in Edmonton and treated in a specialized burn unit for approximately three months.
Numerous family members provided victim impact statements. The victim’s mother said their family has been living in fear ever since the attack. She expressed frustration that it happened after they informed school administration about the offender’s ongoing harassment of their daughter.
“We did everything we thought we could to keep our daughter safe,” she said.
The victim’s best friend spoke outside court on Monday. She said two years in custody for attempted murder isn’t enough, adding the case is an example of what happens when students’ concerns aren’t taken seriously.
-with StarPhoenix files
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