BLACK RIVER, St Elizabeth — Police here say they will be relentless in targeting paedophiles, with detectives reviewing unsolved cases involving child victims even as a man was recently charged with raping his 10-year-old stepdaughter, starting when she was just eight years old.

Head of the St Elizabeth police, Acting Superintendent Coleridge Minto said the 36-year-old maintenance worker is facing two counts of rape and sexual touching of a child.”The accused who is the stepfather of the child committed these offences against the child and these incidents date back as far as 2021. I wish to assure the citizens of this parish that all matters related to offences against children will be investigated and treated with,” said Minto.

He added that the police are intensifying investigations into previously reported cases.”The Black River Criminal Investigation Branch is in the process of reviewing several case files, many of which these incidents have been reported some time ago. We will be actively pursuing the accused [and] the suspects involved in these incidents and bring the matters before our courts,” he said.In August Minto urged parents and guardians to be vigilant in the protection of their children amid worrying concerns stemming from the alleged buggery of a toddler and rape of a teenager.

At that time Minto raised alarm following the arrest of a farmer, 26, charged with buggery against a 4-year-old relative in relation to a July 22 incident.

“We have found in a number of cases that the accused in the matters relating to rape are persons who are either relatives or closely related to the victims, so we asking parents/guardians, particularly those who have custody and control over their children, to pay attention to any change in the behaviour of their children and to ensure that all matters are reported to the police,” Minto had said.

He encouraged the public to report cases of abuse against children to the police.

“… We have no space for persons who are preying on our children. These are children. We expect that they should enjoy their childhood life and so we are asking persons who have information relating to any child who they suspect to be abused to report it to the Black River Criminal Investigation Branch [CIB], police 119, or the nearest police station,” said Minto.