SPANISH TOWN, St Catherine – The mother of a 15-year-old girl who gave birth to a baby in December and the father of the child had their $50,000 bail extended when they appeared in court yesterday, while the under-age mother has been put in protective custody.

The woman, who was arrested on a charge of negligence, was scolded by Resident Magistrate Lorna Errar-Gayle when she told the court that she had had been giving her daughter birth control pills since she was 14 years old because she knew that she was sexually active.

When the judge asked the woman if she knew the girl was pregnant, she replied. “Yes, your honour, but me was giving her birth control pills because me did know she was having sex.”

Apparently surprised at the answer, the magistrate asked: “You really saying that you gave her birth control pills from she was 14 years of age because you know that she was sexually active?” The woman, she added, should be ashamed of herself.

“Look what the society gone to; you no have no shame?” RM Errar-Gayle asked, as she looked the woman in the face.

In the meantime, the 21-year-old man arrested for impregnating the juvenile pleaded guilty yesterday.

However, the magistrate did not sentence him, instead she issued a nolle prosequi in the matter and bound over both accused to return on March 15.

Yesterday the stage was set for the case to go to the St Catherine Circuit court, but the man apparently surprised the court when he pleaded guilty to the charge.

According to court officials, under the circumstances a resident magistrate has no power to hear the case.

“So the court has now to enter a nolle prosequi in the matter. This means that the court will now send the documents to the DPP (Director of Public Prosecutions) who will order that the matter goes directly to the Circuit court without a preliminary inquiry,” an official at the Spanish Town Resident Magistrate’s Court said yesterday. The court official said that under the law the resident magistrate does not have the authority to sentence the man so the case rests entirely with the DPP.

Detective Corporal Kirk Roach told the court that the police got reports last November that the schoolgirl was pregnant and was being neglected by her mother who had stopped her from attending school.

He said when the police went to the area they were told that the girl was eight months pregnant.

She was removed from the family home as a juvenile in need of care and protection and the father of the baby arrested and charged with carnal abuse. The mother was subsequently arrested following further police investigation.