SASKATOON — Those affected by an attack of a teen who set a girl on fire at a Saskatoon high school are making victim impact statements at a sentencing hearing today.
The 16-year-old girl pleaded guilty last year to attempted murder in the lunchtime assault of her former friend at Evan Hardy Collegiate in September 2024.
The offender also pleaded guilty to unlawfully causing bodily harm to a teacher who came to the victim’s aid.
The attacker’s former educational assistant told court she wished she could have done more to help.
She also says she should have been hurt, not the girl, because the victim had her whole life ahead of her.
Court heard educational assistants were with the attacker before she barged through them and splashed lighter fluid on the victim, then setting her ablaze in a hallway.
The victim, who was 15 at the time, was so badly burned that skin melted off her arms and fused her backpack to her clothes.
The victim’s aunt told court she was a vibrant girl who loves music, but now struggles to play her guitar and has required skin grafts.
Neither the victim nor the attacker, who was 14 at the time, can be identified under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.
Jeremy Simes, The Canadian Press
