The Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) has formally charged a man who is accused of sexually assaulting a 7-year-old girl in Treadways, Linstead, St. Catherine, after allegedly abducting her last week.
The accused man has not yet been identified by name, but reports state that the 31-year-old was not a resident in the community. After the incident occurred, angry residents immediately launched a search, and they were able to intercept him while he attempted to flee the area in a taxi.
He was subsequently handed over to the police. The head of the St. Catherine North police, Senior Superintendent Hopeton Nicholson, disclosed that they have since charged him with forcible abduction and rape in addition to multiple other offences.
Superintendent Nicholson commended investigators for their diligence, noting that the police division has a 90% clear-up rate for sexual offences due to the special attention that is given to such serious crimes. However, Nicholson also called attention to the rise in sexual offences despite the decline in shootings and murders.
The accused sexual predator had reportedly dragged the 7-year-old into a bus as she was walking home from school last week, on September 25. After allegedly assaulting the minor, he reportedly left her for dead, but she was able to alert one of her grandparents, who raised the alarm in the community.
While her identity is being withheld for her safety, reports state that the victim is a student of the Bermaddy Primary School. According to the school’s principal, Mebourne Thompson, the institution’s attendance fell to 60% after the minor was assaulted, as both students and parents were gripped by fear.
Melbourne shared that the victim was released from the hospital and is currently recuperating from the attack at her home. The principal further shared that while she sounded upbeat during their conversations, her parents disclosed that her nights are most traumatic.
