A man accused of impregnating an 11-year-old in St Thomas is apparently not being pursued by the police, the Jamaica Observer learnt yesterday.

Attempts to contact the St Thomas police for an official comment yesterday were unsuccessful. However, a cop who requested anonymity confirmed to the Observer that the crime had been reported to the Centre for Investigation of Sexual Offences and Child Abuse (CISOCA) in St Thomas.

The cop also said, “Based on the age of the victim we are still pursuing the investigation, hoping we will get enough information to advance. We are working with our partners to treat with it. Being that the child is at a tender age, sometimes it requires patience in dealing with children in those cases.”

The Child Protection and Family Services Agency yesterday confirmed that the matter was brought to its attention in June, and since then it has activated the necessary support for the family.

However, Observer sources suggest that the authorities are encountering difficulties getting information from the family and residents of the community.

Yesterday, most people in the community were unwilling to speak with the Observer about the matter — some fearing possible social backlash, while others admitted that they preferred to mind their own business.

However, a few who chose to comment claimed that the child, who is now 12 years old and is due to have the baby next month, had been exposed to many dangers.

When the Observer spoke to the child and her grandmother at their home, the grandmother, while expressing disappointment, said she accepted that this is not the end of life for her granddaughter.

The child, who was shy, told the Observer that she has learnt a lot from the experience and said she understood that falling into a similar trap again would not spell good for her future. She said, too, that she hopes to become a Jamaica Defence Force soldier.

According to the grandmother, the child only admitted having sexual intercourse with the man after she began showing signs of being pregnant. The grandmother also said that the alleged culprit is known to the family and some of the residents, having visited the bar she operates on the same property where they live, to have drinks and play Ludo.

The grandmother said she grew suspicious of the man as he always got angry whenever a younger relative of the child snooped around while he engaged the child in private conversations on the property.

“Everybody in the family vex and a wonder why she did what she did. All what she was doing, she was hiding it, and if she never got pregnant mi wouldn’t know. All the time mi ask her ’bout it, she said ‘No’. I see di guy come and mi see dem talk. I have a little grandson and they would run him when him go roun’ dem. Mi get mad one day and ask how dem always a run mi grandson. From dat him tek time and draw weh. The family was never taking part or trying to hide anything,” the grandmother insisted.

“Mi really sorry ’bout it because she was going to school and she did a gwaan good. It reach police matter but dem don’t catch up to the guy up to now. She called his name and we realised he used to come here. He is not from here. I understand seh a Mountain View him live,” the grandmother added.

She said that she had received a cellphone number for the man and she called and scolded him when she found out the little girl was pregnant.

“One of the time I spoke to him on the phone and was telling him he should not have even looked to do something like that because she is a little girl. Di two a dem mate and him seh one a di time him realise seh she pregnant. From dat mi nuh try talk to him,” the grandmother shared.

One concerned resident said that the girl’s story should have been reported by the media before now and the suspect held by the police.

“This is supposed to be published and the guy who did it needs to go behind bars. She not even did catch 12 good,” the resident said. “Di whole community shocked and surprised.”

Another resident, who was obviously angry about the situation, did not mince words. “A real dutty man dat! How yu fi do that to likkle pickney? Him need fi answer fi dis,” he said.

One woman said that she was disgusted by the situation but told the Observer that she does not interfere with “people’s business because at the end of the day people will vex wid yuh and mi nuh want nobody point me out”.