THE director of the Centre for Disability Studies at The University of the West Indies (The UWI), Mona, where Jasmine Deen was enrolled before her disappearance almost five years ago, is disappointed that people are still left to wonder what happened to the “promising student”.

“Security is an overall priority for The UWI for all students, including persons with disabilities, and I must say we are very disappointed that to date we haven’t heard of anything relating to the disappearance of Jasmine Deen…” said Dr Floyd Morris.

February 27, 2025 will be five years since Deen, a visually impaired student, went to the back gate of the university’s Mona campus to access public transportation but never made it home. She was 23 years old at the time and was reportedly last seen in Papine Square, where she was said to have been dropped off by a taxi.

“We once again express our profound sympathies to the family and friends of this very good student who has gone missing for five years now, and it would be good for the police to give an update as to what is the situation. Is that case closed? What is the situation, because the last time that we heard anything was that somebody was taken into custody, but we don’t know what has transpired subsequent,” he told the Jamaica Observer.

Two men were charged with possession of identity information, eight counts of unauthorised access to computer data, and simple larceny after police said they were found in possession of Deen’s identification and other items belonging to her. In May 2021, the director of public prosecutions ruled that they should not be charged with murder, as the evidence against them did not meet the threshold.

Speaking to the Sunday Observer yesterday, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Stephanie Lindsay, who heads the Constabulary Communications Network, said that detectives have no new leads in their investigation into the young woman’s disappearance.

“The issue of Jasmine Deen is always on our mind here at The UWI because she was a promising student, and we want the matter to bring closure to us, because she was a part of the university family. We want for it as well to bring closure to her immediate biological family members, and so there is a definite interest in what has transpired, how she went missing, and so forth,” said Morris.

He noted that since Deen’s disappearance, the university has taken steps to ensure the safety of students, especially those with disabilities, who are a more vulnerable group.

“A lot of the students who are here now would be new students, because the incident took place five years ago. So those students who were here during that time have transitioned. Nonetheless, it has not been lost on the university administration and so at the beginning of each semester there is a meeting with students with disabilities,” said Morris.

The director further noted that the Office of Student Special Services also serves as a hub for students with disabilities where they can study, arrange transportation as well as seek help from one of the 40 volunteers at the office.

“We have reinforced to the students the need for them to take into consideration their own security, and as such measures have been put in place as to what time students can leave the office here, because you would recall that Jasmine was at this office until very late in the night because she was here studying and then she left and went off campus,” he shared.

“We have made sure that, as far as possible, once there is a student with a disability here, we encourage them to reside on the campus because that way they would be in close proximity to the office here and can leave and go to the halls of residence without any major security risk,” said Morris.

He continued: “We also have enforced and make sure we reiterate to the students that if it is you are going to be here at a point later than the cut-off point, because the office officially closes at 4:30 pm but during exam time students would continue to utilise the facility, and so in those cases, we encourage the student to make sure that they make transportation arrangements.”

Morris shared that to date there have been no reports of attacks on students with disabilities and he hopes this does not change.

“I just want to make an appeal to individuals in the broader society that persons with disabilities are vulnerable individuals, and in any civilised society you don’t prey on the vulnerable, you protect the vulnerable. I would want to appeal to all Jamaicans when they see people with disabilities, whether they are students at the university or they are out there in the broader society, make sure that you give support rather than seek to harm,” he pleaded.

MORRIS…the issue of Jasmine Deen is always on our mind here at The UWI because she was a promising student.