SANTA CRUZ, St Elizabeth – Clena Sloley, the People’s National Party’s (PNP) constituency secretary for North-East St Elizabeth, has been released from hospital after being stabbed several times by an ice pick wielder at her home here last Friday.

“I am at home and doing nicely,” Sloley told the Observer on Wednesday. She said she should return to her teaching job in another two weeks.

The 52 year-old Sloley had only just returned home alone from a funeral at sometime after 3:00 pm when she was pounced upon and stabbed several times in the back and on her hands.

Her motor car – a Toyota Corolla – and her handbag with keys, money and other valuables were stolen.

A broken piece of the ice pick which was used to attack Sloley was later surgically removed from her back at hospital.

The Santa Cruz police told the Observer that though no “substantial” progress had yet been made, investigators were following a number of “leads”. In the meantime, the police said they have no evidence that the incident was in any way connected to political party rivalry.