Sask. teen charged in arson attack says 'voices told her to do things'

A lawyer defending a 14-year-old accused of setting a classmate on fire says "voices told her to do things" prior to a fiery attack which severely injured a classmate and a teacher at Evan Hardy Collegiate earlier this month.

Appearing in Provincial Court on Thursday by video, the defence said the teenager was under the care of a nurse practitioner at the time of the attack and she has seen a psychiatrist.

The lawyer told the court the teen went to the emergency room this past summer and was admitted for psychiatric care.

The defence said the nurse practitioner diagnosed the 14-year-old with a psychotic disorder before the attack, and that at some point in the past, the teen was diagnosed with autism.

Crown prosecutor Ainsley Furlonger told justice Sanjeev Anand the crown plans to seek an adult sentence in the matter if the teen is convicted. Although, she didn't specify which charge that would be for.

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The teen was charged with attempted murder, arson, and aggravated assault, stemming from a Sept. 5 attack where a 15-year-old girl was doused with a flammable substance.

Anand granted a psychiatric assessment for the teen to determine if she is not criminally responsible and if she was suffering from a mental disorder when the incident happened.

The defence said the teen told police "voices told her things" shortly after the incident and then again hours later.

The girl's name can't be published under the Youth Criminal Justice Act. A publication ban is also in effect for the teen victim and teacher.

The Crown sought to remove the publication ban on the teacher after both parties agreed it should not have been applied at an earlier court date, but Anand declined the request because he didn't believe he had the authority to do so.

The girl will remain on remand until she's back in court again on Oct. 25.