Saskatoon teen sentenced to 3 years for setting classmate on fire

A Saskatoon student who poured a bottle of gasoline over her classmate’s head and lit her on fire has been sentenced. Laura Woodward has the family’s reaction.

A Saskatoon teen who doused her classmate in gasoline and set her on fire has been handed the maximum youth sentence for attempted murder.

Justice Krista Zerr sentenced the teen to three years — two years in custody followed by one year of community supervision.

The victim’s mother wept in the courtroom after the sentence was delivered, hugging family members.

In a statement shared with reporters, the family said they’re relieved the court process is over, but disappointed with the outcome.

“We’re disappointed with the short duration of the sentence.”

The victim continues to recover from burns to 40 per cent of her body, undergoing surgeries and ongoing treatment.

Court heard the girls became friends at the start of Grade 9, but the relationship quickly turned obsessive.

Ahead of the Sept. 5, 2024 attack at Evan Hardy Collegiate, the offender contacted the victim and her best friend repeatedly using multiple phone numbers and social media accounts.

The identities of the victim and the offender cannot be reported under a youth publication ban.

Victim’s family says warnings were ignored before the attack

The victim’s family and the parents of her best friend said they raised concerns before the attack.

“We did everything we thought we could to prevent this tragedy. No one should have gotten hurt,” the family said in their statement.

Court heard they reported the situation to police and were told a school safety plan would be implemented for the new school year.

“This case shows what happens when students’ concerns aren’t taken seriously. We shouldn’t have to fight this hard just to be heard and to feel safe in our own school,” the victim’s best friend said.

“Although the court process is all over, the weight in my chest will never leave.”

https://www.ctvnews.ca/saskatoon/article/changed-our-lives-forever-victims-detail-horror-after-saskatoon-teen-was-doused-in-gasoline-set-on-fire-at-school/

The victim’s best friend’s mother is now calling for action to address violence in schools.

“The need for change is urgent,” she told reporters outside the courthouse.

“Until this government and the school division divide proper attention and resources to understanding the frequency and magnitude of the violence in our schools, events like this will continue.”

CTV News has contacted the Ministry of Education and Saskatoon Public Schools for comment.

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Why the Crown dropped the adult sentence

The Crown initially sought an adult sentence but withdrew the request on Dec. 15, 2025.

Crown prosecutor Zachary Huywan pointed to a recent Supreme Court of Canada ruling that clarified when an adult sentence can be pursued.

The seriousness of a crime alone is not enough. Prosecutors must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the youth had an adult-like level of maturity and moral judgment.

“With the particular circumstances of the offender, it was not a pathway we could pursue any longer,” Huywan told journalists.

Sentence focuses on treatment and rehabilitation

Court heard the offender has been diagnosed with autism, pyromania, cannabis use disorder, schizophrenia spectrum disorder, and anxiety disorder with obsessive intrusive thoughts.

Huywan said the sentence — jointly proposed by the Crown and defence — focuses on addressing the factors behind the crime, and trying to prevent future offending.

The teen has already spent 558 days in custody. Unlike most cases, that time will not be credited toward the sentence.

After the offender serves one year, the judge will evaluate the sentence.

“I sincerely hope that you work as hard as you can and build a trusting relationship with your treatment team so they can help you move forward,” Zerr told the teen.

“Honesty, empathy and hard work. That is the only way forward.”