The Guatemalan prosecutor’s office announced on Monday that it will seek to withdraw the diplomatic immunity of President Jimmy Morales for the death of 41 girls in a fire that occurred in March at a shelter for minors, for which five public officials were arrested.
The secretary of the Public Prosecutor’s Office (Attorney General), Mayra Véliz, announced that they will transfer the request to withdraw the immunity to the Supreme Court of Justice (CSJ).
On March 8th, a fire broke out at the Virgen de la Asunción Safe Home in the municipality of San José Pinula, adjacent to Guatemala City, where 41 girls died.
According to preliminary reports, minors locked up in a room started the fire to report sexual abuse, poor food and abuse in that center.
Leftist legislators Sandra Morán and Leocadio Juracán filed a request for a preliminary hearing against the President, claiming he is responsible for the tragedy.
Morán told reporters they are suing the ruler because he is the hierarch of command in the Secretariat of Social Welfare of the presidency (SBS), in charge of the juvenile center.
It was found that the people who were in the key posts of the Secretariat of Social Welfare were there because of the ties with President Morales,”
added Morán.
Presidential spokesman Heinz Hiemann told reporters at the National Palace of Culture that the government will respect the judicial process.
Prior to the announcement of the possible investigation, five public employees were arrested on charges of homicide, abuse of authority, abuse of minors and noncompliance with duties, public prosecutor Julia Barrera told reporters.
Among those arrested are the head of the Office of the Procurator for Children and Adolescents, the head of the Department of Special Protection against Mistreatment, and the defender of Childhood and Adolescence.
In addition, two senior police officers were arrested.
At the same time, the Office of the Prosecutor against the Crime of Femicide filed a request to waive immunity to the Peace Judge of the municipality of San José Pinula, Rocío Murillo, accused of false ideology, breach of duties and delay of justice.
According to the order, Murillo was required one night before the fire, to carry out an errand in the children’s home, but she did not go and argued that her life might be in danger.
Another 17 children were burned and nine were moved to specialized hospitals in the United States.