14-year-old girl who set her apartment on fire not detained by court

Police logo [YONHAP]

 
A detention warrant for a 14-year-old girl who set her home on fire after her guardian refused to replace her phone with one able to access social media was denied by a court.
 
The Gwangju District Court on Saturday dismissed the request for a detention warrant for the girl — who is accused of arson of an inhabited building — after holding a warrant review hearing. 
 

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The court considered the fact that the girl is a minor under the age of 19, as defined by the Juvenile Act, according to the police.
 
The incident occurred at around 10:52 p.m. on Thursday, when the girl allegedly used a lighter to intentionally ignite a fire in a small bedroom of her apartment in Dongnim-dong, Buk District, Gwangju.
 
The blaze destroyed the apartment and all its furnishings. Seventeen residents were taken to hospitals after inhaling smoke. Firefighters extinguished the flames in about 20 minutes.
 
Police said the girl started the fire because she harbored resentment toward her guardian, who refused to provide her with a phone capable of accessing social media.
 
She had previously been placed on probation for a separate offense. 
 
Police sought a detention warrant, citing the seriousness of the case, but the court denied the request.


This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY KIM JI-HYE [yoon.soyeon@joongang.co.kr]