Dear Editor,

I read the article ‘Man accused of trailing 12-year-old girl arrested’, published in the Jamaica Observer of May 9, 2018, with mixed emotions. Firstly, I was most elated that the Jamaica Constabulary Force, in true service to its citizens, spared no time in apprehending that culprit. I was joyous that, unlike many others, this beautiful and innocent child made it home to her parents alive.

However, I am also angry, as my own daughter experienced something similar.

My daughter walks the West King’s House route to Devon Road for training. After two consecutive days of verbal taunting from a vendor and him leering at her, I decided to meet her by the bus stop for us to travel together. The perpetrator, on this day, quite barefacedly, grabbed her hand while she was walking with me. I had only felt the sharp jerk of her body as she pulled her hand away from him.

It was at this point I called 119 and waited for the motorised patrol to arrive on the scene. Upon their approach he ran, they gave chase and eventually caught him. After interrogating my daughter in his presence, they confiscated his knife and let him go with a warning to “not return to that spot, or else they’ll arrest him on sight”.

Not satisfied with their warning, I reported the incident to the Duhaney Park Police Station. The officer on duty there refused to take my statement and advised me to make my report at the Half-Way-Tree station, then went on to ask what my expected resolution was to the incident? I was advised that they could not remove the man solely on that premise, neither would they arrest him because the patrol team had already addressed him and let him go. I was devastated and enraged.

For three weeks my daughter was free to travel along the route without the fear, anxiety and apprehension that threatened to overcome her in the week prior.

However, that same man resumed his selling on the very same spot. He resumed hurling his filthy remarks to her on the first opportunity given. I proceeded to the Half-Way-Tree station. I was told it’s not a matter for them as it’s sexual in nature. I was given a police escort to the Centre for Investigation of Sexual Offences and Child Abuse. There I was advised that because there was no penetration, nor a stronger sexual suggestion than his leering, there was nought for them to do. That ordeal took four hours, with my 11-year-old being required to recount her story and being stripped of her dignity repeatedly to no avail.

I was transported to the Half-Way-Tree station again for the team there to travel to the spot, ascertain who the perpetrator was by our identifying him, and they would take it from there. Nothing further has come from this matter.

Many readers would ask: Why allow her to travel on her own? My response: Had there been an alternative, I’d have taken it. The better question is: When did our society become so callous, that the safety of our children has taken such a back seat?

I do hope parents who can continue to put measures in place to ensure the safety of their kids, but I ask, what of those who are unable to?

TBM

St Andrew