Former Guatemalan police officers, officials sentenced for deaths of 41 girls in fire

By Sofia Menchu

GUATEMALA CITY (Reuters) -A Guatemalan court on Tuesday sentenced six people to between six and 25 years in prison for the deaths of 41 children in a raging fire eight years ago inside a state shelter for at-risk youth.

The sentencing is a step towards closure in one of the most horrific and deadly events in Guatemalan history. The tragedy drew international attention and highlighted pervasive abuse in the government's shelter system.

The six sentenced on Tuesday - two former police officers and four former child protection officials - were found guilty of homicide, mistreatment of minors, breach of duties and abuse of authority. All pleaded not guilty.

The judge said she did not have the jurisdiction to rule on charges against a seventh defendant, the country's former Children's Prosecutor at the Attorney General's Office, who had pleaded not guilty.

The fire occurred on March 8, 2017, at the Virgin de la Asuncion Safe Home outside Guatemala City, when 56 girls and teenagers were padlocked in a classroom allegedly for bad behavior.

After spending hours locked inside, one of the girls lit a match to a mattress, thinking it might force police to let them out, according to witnesses.

Despite cries for help, police refused to open the doors for nine minutes, witnesses said. Forty one girls and teenagers died, and 15 more survived with serious burns.

(Reporting by Sofia Menchu; Editing by Emily Green, Brendan O'Boyle and Sarah Morland)