KINGSTON, Jamaica— The Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA) says it has relocated the children who were being housed at the Pathway International Kingdom Restoration Ministries in St James.

The CPFSA said it intervened following Sunday’s shootout between members of the church and the police.

The agency said a team of first responders visited the location to ascertain further details and the children have since been relocated to a safe location and are being medically examined.

Commenting on the issue, Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Fayval Williams, said that “barbaric acts of this nature involving children should bring a chill to every fibre of our being.” She said that the ministry’s prompt response through the CPFSA was to ensure we safeguard our most vulnerable.

Williams said that under Section Eight of the Child Care and Protection Act (CCPA), which outlines circumstances in which children are deemed to be in need of care and protection, the children who were among the occupants at the building, were exposed to moral danger, which is a violation of their rights.

“We are mandated to respond to the cry of all children who are in need of care and protection in Jamaica, in keeping with the Act, as their welfare is high priority. The CPFSA’s team has been on the ground, and has acted accordingly in the children’s best interest. We continue to provide the necessary support in ensuring their safety. Additionally, the children would have experienced some form of trauma which also requires our intervention,” the minister said.

Williams encouraged Jamaicans to see it as part of their civic duty to provide greater protection of the nation’s children, as “they are vulnerable, and rely heavily on us as adults to provide a caring and nurturing environment, enabling them to thrive holistically and realise their full potential.”