KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA) is calling for greater vigilance and support from community members in the fight to protect Jamaica’s children from predators.

This urgent appeal comes in the wake of the brutal sexual assault and murder of 14-year-old Pryce Johnson, a ninth-grade student at Haile Selassie High School, who was attacked in her home on Spanish Town Road on Thursday, February 6.

READ: BRUTAL!: St Andrew community mourns macabre killing of 14-y-o girl

Chief Executive Officer of the CPFSA, Laurette Adams-Thomas, expressed profound sorrow and outrage over the incident stating, “The crime committed against this child is beyond horrific. This tragedy is a stark reminder that we, as a society, must do better to protect our children. The safety and well-being of our youth must be a collective responsibility.”

She continued, “It is quite unsettling in my mind to believe that someone reportedly saw a strange man tampering with the locks, in an effort to enter the premises where the girl lived, yet there are no reports that an alarm was raised. It is even more distressing that some individuals, instead of assisting, chose to record and circulate videos of this innocent child in her darkest moments. How have we, as a society, become so desensitised to the suffering of our own children? Where was the village of protection she so desperately needed?

“This must be a wake-up call. We must return to the values that once defined us — a community that looks out for its children, that intervenes when something seems amiss, and that does not stand by while evil takes root in our midst,” Adams-Thomas said.

The CPFSA head urged members of the public to immediately cease the circulation of the gruesome videos related to Pryce Johnson’s murder.

“No parent would want to see their child’s dying moments spread across social media for public consumption. Little Pryce is not just a news headline — she was a daughter, a sister and a student with dreams. The continued sharing of these videos only deepens the agony of her grieving family, including her four older siblings,” she said.

The CPFSA also issued a strong call to parents and guardians to ensure that their children are never left in vulnerable situations.

“We understand that parents have obligations, but wherever possible, children should always be in the care of a responsible adult or they might become easy targets for those who seek to harm them,” Adams-Thomas said.

As part of its response to the tragedy, the CPFSA has visited the family to extend condolences and provide initial grief counselling. The family has also been referred to the Ministry of Justice’s Victim Services Division for additional support. Additionally, the CPFSA, along with the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information, has conducted a visit to Haile Selassie High School to provide counselling and intervention services for students and staff affected by the loss.

The agency said this incident further highlights the detrimental need for its Child Protection Early Warning System (CPEWS), an initiative to strengthen child protection efforts at the community level that is scheduled to be rolled out in 2025.

“The Child Protection Early Warning System will equip community members with the knowledge and skills to identify warning signs of child abuse or danger. One of the main objectives of CPEWS is to promote early detection and response to risks of child protection breaches,” Adams-Thomas said.

“This is not just about mourning young Pryce Johnson, this is about making sure no other child suffers a similar fate. We urge every Jamaican to play their part — if you see something suspicious, speak out. If a child is in distress, act. Together, we must do what it takes to rebuild a Jamaica that is safe for children. We must rebuild the village we once had,” she added.