A woman with four children is accused of abandoning her burning house, leaving three of her kids inside to die while she allegedly watched the tragic events unfold on CCTV. Shania Lee, 25, is facing charges of negligent manslaughter and causing serious injury due to the incident. Firefighters rescued her unconscious children, Izabel, Kalais, and Lyvia, from the property after neighbors raised the alarm on September 8 last year. The children, who had only moved in a week prior, were trapped inside the blazing house for about an hour.
The siblings were rushed to the Royal Children’s Hospital for treatment, where Izabel and Lyvia tragically passed away, while Kalais survived after being placed in a medically induced coma. Lee, who was granted bail, has a fourth child who was not present at the time of the fire in Sydenham, Melbourne.
During a court hearing, Detective Senior Constable Christopher Mitchell claimed that Lee was aware of the fire when she drove away from the house. Lee and her partner, Matthew McAuliffe, allegedly left the children unattended in the house to go out for a car door theft for Lee’s Jeep. Police suspect the fire originated in the couple’s bedroom before they left the house.
Investigators also revealed that Lee was overheard discussing the incident with McAuliffe while he was in prison. Lee admitted to watching the CCTV cameras and hearing screaming, which investigators believe was related to the children during the fire. Lee refused to cooperate with police, and there are concerns about her drug use.
Despite defending Lee, her lawyer argued that there was no proof she knew the house would catch fire. However, police maintain their belief that she was aware of the situation. Lee, who has prior convictions, including failing to appear in court and committing offenses while on bail, is scheduled to appear in court next year.
