13-year old boys charged with burning down hostel

Last Updated on Friday, 16 June 2023, 21:13 by Denis Chabrol

Four 13-year old boys were this week charged with setting fire to the St. Angela’s Roman Catholic Hostel at Karasabai and remanded into State care at the Juvenile Holding Centre, police said.

The law enforcement agency said an order was made for them to evaluated by a competent court-appointed doctor. The case was postponed to 13th July 2023 at the Lethem Magistrate’s Court for report.

Police said the boys were charged indictably and  so they were not required to plea when Lethem Magistrate, Allan Wilson read the charge to them.

The lads were arrested on June 1, 2023, the same day that the building was burnt and police said the boys admitted to committing the act because they were chased away by the caretaker when they went to visit the girls who were staying there. None of the 19 girls was injured.

It is unclear on what basis the boys were charged as the Juvenile Justice Act states that the criminal age of responsibility under the Juvenikle Justice Act is 14 years.