A mother of four is accused of ignoring the cries of her children as she reportedly watched their home burn on CCTV and drove away, leaving them inside. Shania Lee, 25, is charged with two counts of negligent manslaughter and one count of negligently causing serious injury in connection to the house fire where her three children, Izabel, 5, Kalais, 3, and Lyvia, 2, were trapped.
After firefighters rescued the unconscious children from the property, it was revealed that the family had recently moved in. Neighbors reported hearing screams and witnessing the children fighting for their lives during the blaze, which lasted about an hour.
Despite efforts to save them, Izabel and Lyvia lost their lives in the hospital, while Kalais survived but required induced coma treatment. Lee, who was released on bail, has a fourth child who was not present during the incident in Sydenham, Melbourne.
During a court session, Detective Senior Constable Christopher Mitchell alleged that Lee was aware of the fire when she drove away from the scene with her partner. The couple had left the children alone in the house to allegedly steal a car door for Lee’s Jeep, returning to find emergency services at the property.
Investigators suspect the fire originated in the couple’s bedroom before they left. Additional claims suggest that Lee discussed the incident with her partner while he was in prison and was uncooperative with authorities. Despite these allegations, Lee’s lawyer defended her by stating that it couldn’t be confirmed if she knew the severity of the situation when she left.
Authorities mentioned Lee’s history of bail violations, drug use, and pending charges related to previous offenses. She is scheduled to appear in court next year.