Valerie Carter, the mother of twin girls who perished in the devastating Mahdia dormitory fire of 2023, filed a civil suit against the State on 17 February, 2025, demanding compensation in excess of $900 million for each of her deceased children.
This legal action follows her previous attempt to overturn a settlement agreement that she signed in July 2023, which provided her with $5 million per child.
The tragic fire, which occurred on 21 May 2023 at the Mahdia Secondary School dormitory, claimed the lives of 20 students, including Carter’s twin daughters. The fire, which has since been described as a national tragedy, left families and the entire nation grappling with the loss of young lives.
Initially, Carter accepted the state’s offer of $5 million for each child in July 2023. However, she later sought to have the settlement annulled, contending that she was coerced into signing it.
Carter’s claim centres around allegations that state actors exerted subtle and overt pressure on her, compelling her to accept the agreement despite her objections. She has accused them of manipulating her free will during a vulnerable time following the loss of her daughters.
