PORT MARIA, St Mary — The St Mary Municipal Corporation (SMMC) has emphasised the need for individuals who use its State-run drop-in centre to leave the facility at night.

“If the female residents want to venture to the drop-in centre, the instructions are that they do so on the day when it’s operational, and the relatives of those indigent persons would be responsible for them to come back home in the evenings,” mayor of Port Maria Fitzroy Wilson told the Jamaica Observer.

He noted that the facility will continue to provide meals, clothing and health care, and its bathroom will remain available for use.

“We cannot provide lodging as we are not equipped to do so,” Wilson stressed on Tuesday.

His comments came almost a week after a meeting to discuss reports that a mentally challenged woman had been sexually assaulted at the drop-in centre a few weeks earlier.

According to the mayor, the department which oversees the facility successfully made contact with relatives of the woman. She is said to spend most of her time living on the streets but uses the drop-in centre from time to time.

“The individual who was involved was medically examined and was assisted by the Poor Relief Department to locate family members in the parish who were asked to keep [her] and supervise [her] at home,” Wilson stated.

A few weeks ago a video surfaced of the alleged assault, and during the last monthly meeting of the SMMC the mayor rapped the Poor Relief Department for its failure to provide a report on the incident. At the time, Wilson said this was not the first sexual assault at the facility.

A report of the most recent attack was subsequently provided at a follow-up meeting on March 19 and an investigation has been launched.

On Tuesday, Wilson stressed the need to keep some details out of the public domain.

“Due to the sensitivity of the situation we have met with the stakeholders — director of the drop-in centre, personnel from Ministry of Health, all the relevant persons who have anything to do with the running of the drop-in centre, from the Poor Relief Department and the municipal corporation. We have gotten reports from those persons, and we have also done our own investigations, and we have referred it to [the local government] ministry for attention. As you know, when it comes to the indigent and the poor we cannot divulge certain information to the public,” the mayor told the Observer.

He gave a commitment to ensuring that the matter is dealt with appropriately.

“These were real issues that were raised by me because I was concerned… I will not let this go down as if it is not being treated with urgency,” he assured.

Wilson said a recommendation has been made for the police to do their investigations and take the necessary actions.

Turning his attention to overall safety at the drop-in centre, the mayor said the municipal corporation is looking at ways to boost security. He was cautious about providing details but did say that once the ongoing probe is completed, recommendations will be made for the way forward.

During the council meeting it had emerged that there was uncertainty about whether the drop-in centre’s security cameras were working and which security guard was on duty during the time of the incident.

“We have done our investigations at the corporation and have come close to narrowing down the time and date when the incident took place. That is why we will have a hearing with the officer who was supposed to be on duty and [will] ask for a report of what transpired there,” Wilson said Tuesday.

“We have to account better as to how we treat our elderly, our indigent, and our persons in need and persons under our Poor Relief Department. We had a meeting, made certain proposals, and we are going to look back at them to see how feasible they are and how they are able to be implemented, based on the financial constraints that we have presented to us now,” he added.