Charges have been laid against six teenagers accused of pouring flammable liquid on a man and setting him on fire while he was sleeping in a parking lot near the Rite Way Supermarket in Pasea on March 8, according to Police Information Officer Diane Drayton.

 

The six teens, ranging in age from 12 to 16, were charged with unlawful and malicious wounding after the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions gave the go-ahead to press charges, Ms. Drayton said.

The victim received first-, second-, and third-degree burns to his right leg before Rite Way employees, who were getting off work around 11:30 p.m., saw him and helped put out the flames.

BVI Health Services Authority Communications Officer Franka Potter said the victim is still in stable condition in the hospital.

Detective Superintendent of Crime Alexis Charles said he wasn’t happy that the youth were unsupervised at that time of night.

“It is troubling enough that teens in this age range could conceive and then carry out such a deliberate, unprovoked attack on a member of their community,” he said. “It is even more alarming that none of the parental or guidance supervisions, which would likely have pre-empted such an act, were in place at these late hours. The time that this incident was reported is a dangerous time for a 12-, 14-, or even 16-year old to be on the streets unsupervised and accounted for.”

All six defendants were granted bail for their appearance at Youth Court on May 15, 2014.