KINGSTON, Jamaica — Attorney General, and Member of Parliament for West Central St James, Marlene Malahoo Forte says it is time to re-think, once again, the age of criminal responsibility.

Her call comes on heels of reports that Oray Johnson— a 14-year-old Albert Town High student — was hacked to death by a machete-wielding 11-year-old primary school male student, with whom he had a dispute in their deep rural Lowe River district, Monday afternoon.

Malahoo Forte in an telephone interview with OBSERVER ONLINE this afternoon said she has not made any conclusions as it regards to what she deems a “horrible” murder by a child who is less than 12 years of age.

However, she questioned whether or not the circumstances in Jamaica would cause or necessitate a re-examination of the Child Care and Protection Act, which states that a child under the age of 12 can never be charged criminally nor incarcerated in a penal institution. Instead, they are made wards of the state and sent to Places of Safety for periods determined by a court hearing.

Indicating that stiffer penalties may be needed, the attorney general also questioned if children are still as innocent as their age, given the conditions under which they are growing up and factors they are exposed to.

Based on the things they are exposed to, children “can fully appreciate the right and wrong that flows from their actions” she reasoned.

Tragedy struck the Trelawny farming community about 3:30 pm on Monday when Oray, who is commonly called “Orane”, was on his way from a grocery shop where he went to pick up items for his mother.

A heated argument ended in an exchange of blows between himself and the 11-year-old along the main road in the community.

In an attempt to quell the fight, a female resident reportedly threw water on the boys, but that was not enough to cool the heated temper of the younger boy.

He allegedly left for home and returned with a machete, which he used to inflict wounds to Oray.

One of the chops caught the neck, which was reportedly partially severed.

The 14-year-old ran off into a nearby banana field where he collapsed and died.

The 11-year-old then fled the scene, but was later apprehended in bushes and handed over to the Wait-a-Bit police.

Malahoo-Forte said: “I have not made a conclusion on the matter but arising out of the court on that incident, persons have called me to ask me whether it was time for the law to be looked at again”.

Shanica Blair