DATA released from the Children’s Rights Working Group of Jamaicans for Justice (JFJ) shows that some 27 juveniles in the care of the State have attempted suicide between 2009 and June of this year.

In November last year, 16-year-old Vanessa Wint hanged herself inside the New Horizon Adult Remand Centre, despite frantic calls from other teenagers who were witnessing the act.

But their cries fell on deaf ears, as the correctional staff at the penal institution ignored them and only came to the cell block after the child had taken her life.

The Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM) has since ruled that the matter should be sent to the Attorney General’s Office for compensation to be made to Wint’s estate due to gross negligence on the part of the Department of Correctional Services.

INDECOM also recommended that warders should be trained to deal with troubled children who have shown signs of suicidal tendencies, and that a system be developed to diagnose the signs of suicidal tendencies, among other things.

The INDECOM recommendations come three years after a commission of inquiry into an incident at the Armadale Juvenile Centre in St Ann where seven girls — Ann-Marie Samuels, Nerrissa King, Rachael King, Kaychell Nelson, Shauna-Lee Kerr, Georgina Saunders, and Stephanie Smith — died due to burn injuries sustained in a fire which broke out while they were on lockdown, made similar recommendations to improve the treatment of juveniles in State care.

The combination of being molested by adult males or being neglected by parents and deemed in need of care and protection before ending up in a maximum security facility and being sentenced to remain in State care until adulthood, leaves many juveniles in government care depressed and often sends them down the road to suicide.

In Vanessa’s case, she was molested by an adult male in her Kingston community, who threatened to kill her parents if she spoke up. To escape the man’s constant abuse, the child ran away from home many times.

She was eventually deemed uncontrollable by a magistrate and sentenced to remain in custody until she was 18 years old.

No case study was conducted into why the child was behaving badly before she was locked away and her molester is still walking free today.

Even while incarcerated, the child repeatedly attempted to explain to adults the reasons behind her anti-social behaviour, but her pleas went unheard.

JFJ Executive Director Carolyn Gomes said that the lack of urgency in dealing with the present lot of the children, the majority of whom are locked up but have not committed or have been accused of any violent offence or any other crime, is unlawful.

“It is appalling that, based on what INDECOM ruled on Vanessa Wint’s suicide, that they have not done what has been recommended by the Armadale Commission, almost three years ago. They do not even have basic protection for the children and somebody should be held accountable,” Gomes said.

JFJ Chairman Susan Goffe was also at odds with the apparent uncaring attitude of successive governments.

“What I find difficult to understand is the lack of urgency in a system that knows that there are children who are attempting suicide and children who are harming themselves in a variety of ways. How many more children will have to die before something is done?” she asked.

Listed below are details of some of the cases of attempted suicides:

* In October 2010, at the Horizon Adult Remand Centre, a female ward had taken more than 20 pills and appeared to be asleep. Officers tried to wake her, but she resisted and protested that she was too tired. The child woke up in hospital and was diagnosed to suffer from bipolar disorder by a psychiatrist;

* In February 2011 at the Hill Top Juvenile Correctional Centre, a ward attempted to hang himself with a sheet twisted into the form of a rope, which was removed from his possession;

* In March 2011 at Diamond Crest Juvenile Correctional Centre, a ward attempted to hang herself in the dormitories and was placed on suicide watch;

* In April 2011 at Diamond Crest, a ward attempted to hang herself with a sheet. She was reportedly escorted to the medical room and placed on suicide watch;

* In April 2011 at Diamond Crest, a ward exhibited destructive behaviour by inserting a sewing needle in her hand, and then attempting suicide the next day by asking another ward to hold her head underwater. The institution escorted both wards to a health centre where they received counselling and a prescription for medication. The institution also recommended that a psychiatrist visit the facility more often;

* In June 2011 at Rio Cobre Juvenile Correctional Centre, a ward unsuccessfully tried to take his own life by hanging himself inside a bathroom. He was found by a fellow ward, and a staff member was then alerted to counsel him and bring him to the superintendent. After counselling, it was discovered that the ward was depressed and had not adjusted to life at the facility. He was assigned to sessions with a psychologist and a reverend and marked for careful monitoring;

* In August 2011 at the Diamond Crest Juvenile Centre, following a meeting with the Superintendent, a ward inserted a sewing needle into her left hand and had to be taken for medical treatment;

* In December 2011 at the Fort Augusta Correctional Centre, a female ward temporarily escaped control of her escorts and used an improvised weapon to inflict several cuts to her left wrist and neck, claiming that she wanted to kill herself. She received medical attention and was returned to her dormitory to be put under observation.

* In August 2012 at Fort Augusta, a female ward was taken to a medical assistant by her peers after attempting to drown herself;

* In September 2012 at the Horizon Adult Remand Centre, officers were called into the dormitories late at night, by wards reporting a suicide attempt;

* In October 2012 at the Horizon Adult Remand Centre, after a disturbance in a dormitory, one of the wards was placed on suicide watch;

* In October 2012 at the Horizon Adult Remand Centre a female ward was found with a noose constructed from a bed sheet, tied around her neck;

* In October 2012 at the Horizon Adult Remand Centre, a female ward pushed a sewing needle into her wrist.

* In November 2012 at the Horizon Adult Remand Centre, a ward was found attempting to commit suicide by hanging herself with a sheet. She was reportedly counselled and returned to the dormitory.