A school hallway turned into a scene of horror, and now a judge must decide how long a teen will pay for it.
Lawyers are asking for the maximum youth sentence for a girl who admitted to setting her classmate on fire at Evan Hardy Collegiate in Saskatoon. The sentencing hearing took place this week at the Saskatoon Court of King’s Bench, according to CBC News.
The attack happened on Sept. 5, 2024, the second day of school. Court heard the teen, who was 14 at the time, brought a water bottle filled with gasoline. When the lunch bell rang and the hallway filled with students, she poured the fuel over a 15-year-old girl and lit it on fire.
The victim suffered burns to 40 per cent of her body. She spent months in hospital, including time in a burn unit in Edmonton, and has needed several surgeries. A teacher who tried to put out the flames was also burned. In December 2025, the teen pleaded guilty to attempted murder and unlawfully causing bodily harm.
Because of the Youth Criminal Justice Act, neither the accused nor the victim can be named. Both are now 16.
Crown and defence lawyers jointly recommended an intensive rehabilitation and custody supervision order. That is the most serious youth sentence available for attempted murder, up to three years from the date of sentencing. It would include two years in secure custody and one year under community supervision.
Prosecutors had once considered seeking an adult sentence, which could carry life in prison. But they told the court that a recent Supreme Court of Canada decision makes it harder to sentence youth as adults unless the Crown can prove they are fully morally responsible.
The court also heard emotional victim impact statements. The victim said she is now left-handed because of her injuries and feels overwhelmed in crowds. “I’m still alive,” she wrote.
Justice Krista Zerr has reserved her decision until March 16.
