THERE is a hunt on for two men suspected to be serial rapists, who have been committing sex crimes on women and girls in St Ann communities.

According to a medical doctor at St Ann’s Bay Hospital, medical personnel have noticed a surge of women, as young as 12 to as old as over 50 years, who had gone missing for two or more days before showing up at the hospital stating that they were raped by two men.

The doctor said each of the women had a similar story. They were alone in broad daylight on busy streets when the men drove up, pulled them into a vehicle and intimidated them with a knife. They were then driven to unknown locations, as far as Portland, and raped for two days, most times unprotected, before being released.

The doctor added that on January 22, in a 12-hour period, six girls showed up at the hospital at different times with similar complaints of rape. The doctor said the locations are in and around Ocho Rios, communities like Pineapple and the Fern Gully area with some cases occurring in St Mary.

When the Jamaica Observer visited the Pineapple community in St Ann on Thursday residents condemned the rapes and said that the abominable and dastardly acts had left a black eye on the community and parish.

While they bemoaned the series of events, it was one particular occurrence that left them irate — the abduction and rape of a 42-year-old woman.

When the Sunday Observer visited one relative of the woman, she was a picture of grief. She explained that the victim went missing on Wednesday and turned up Thursday night emotionally distraught and physically hurt.

“It was her day off. She went to Ochi to buy something and on her way coming back — in broad daylight — she standing at the clock waiting to cross the road. By standing at the banking side waiting, they stopped the car, pulled her in and drove off with her. That’s what she tell us. It was two men and they both raped her, night and day until early morning when they kicked her out the car. They took her from Ochi to Portland. She had a $1,000 bill in her pocket and she paid her fare from there to get back into Ochi,” the relative said.

“When I talk to her she say she was near a bus stop so she walk and walk till she almost reach in the town. She follow the road go straight out and she see a lady and ask her where she was and she say she is in Portland. She went into the shop nearby and bought sanitary [supplies] and put on because she was torn up. I asked her where she get money from, she said she had a $1,000 in her pocket and pay her fare until she get back in Ochi,” the relative continued.

“When we get the news that she was in Ochi walking, acting strange and all a that I go down there with other family members and take her to the station, then the police carry her to the hospital. When we got there she never wanted anyone to touch her, she nuh wah see anybody. She was heading to the hospital and turn back so we caught her on the bypass in Ocho Rios.”

But despite being in a sombre mood, the relative was clear about one thing — the perpetrators must face jungle justice.

“If mi come face to face with them — jungle justice. And mi woulda feel good fi jungle justice because they will do it to someone else. Dem deh man deh nuh suppose to go a prison guh eat taxpayer money at all, dem nah nuh heart. Mi nuh think dem come out a woman. That sister don’t even really keep company. Is from church to home. She is a Christian lady. She just business with her work and home,” the relative said. “When I was by the hospital coming out of emergency, a police carry in another case where the same thing had happened to that person too. When she admitted and leaving the next morning, another case had come in too. So I guess it’s something going around. You hear about these things happening at night, not middle day.”

Superintendent Dwight Powell, commanding officer of the St Ann police division, told the Sunday Observer that since the start of this year there have been five reported rapes across St Ann, an increase compared to what was reported last year.

“There are three incidents coming out of Ocho Rios, one over in Moneague and one in Claremont. Even though Claremont and Moneague are close to Ocho Rios, the police jurisdiction is different. We are a little worse than where we were last year at the same time. We would have concluded the year, last year, with 15 rapes on the books, 12 of which were cleared by arrest and persons placed before the courts. It seems we have an uptick since the start of the year,” Superintendent Powell said.

Further, the St Ann commanding officer said while the investigations were not leading to any connections between the incidents, two reports which indicate abduction and sexual assault were creating widespread apprehension in Ocho Rios.

He said the incidents were under active investigation and so far, the only lead is the common thread with the vehicle.

“The victims will be asked to assist us via identification parade when we reach that stage. But for the time being, what we are seeing from investigation is a silver or white motor vehicle being used in the two incidents mentioned. The information coming from the victims will be critical but that’s the only description they could give us at the time to work with. People out there may know or see something, so we’re appealing to the public, if there is any information in the space, feel free to come to any police station in St Ann or where they are comfortable to assist us with any information. As long as we get those information, then we will be able to work and see how best we can bring a satisfactory end to this situation,” Superintendent Powell said.

In the meantime, St Ann’s Bay Hospital CEO Dennis Morgan said that while he is unable to comment on the specific cases, he has seen the social media posts warning women to be more vigilant, which he endorses. He added that when rape cases come to the hospital, for the most part the person is accompanied by the police and the matter is treated as an emergency.

Morgan, while remorseful, also encouraged the victims to make use of the counselling services available at the hospital at no cost to them.

“We have a counselling service at the hospital. It can be requested in terms of follow-up. Some level of counselling would have happened in the initial stages but if requested on a follow-up basis our department is willing to go that extra mile. If the family wants to engage the facility we will accommodate that,” Morgan said.

“It’s very traumatic and you just need someone to say it’s not your fault, you’re going to be all right and we’re going to get through this together,” Morgan added.

Alicia Kelly, from the mental health department at the hospital, also encouraged the victims and their families to utilise the counselling services.

She also highlighted the operational schedule of the mental health clinic in St Ann.

“At the infirmary the clinic is held every second and fourth Tuesday; St Ann’s Bay Hospital – every Monday; Brown’s Town Health Centre – every Thursday; Bamboo Health Centre – second and fourth Wednesdays; Ocho Rios Health Centre – first and fourth Thursday; Watt Town Health Centre – second Tuesdays; Alexandria Community Hospital – second, third and fourth Wednesdays; Claremont Health Centre – second Wednesdays; Stepney Health Centre – first Thursdays; Clarksonville Health Centre – third Thursdays; Moneague Health Centre – second and fourth Fridays; Madras Health Centre – second Tuesdays; St Ann’s Bay Health Centre – first, third and fourth Tuesdays and Mondays and Thursdays at Steer Town Health Centre for the child guidance clinic,” Kelly said, while pointing out that clients have access to clinical psychologists and resident doctors.