MAY, a month dedicated to celebrating and protecting Jamaica’s children, was shrouded in a cloud of darkness as the nation grappled with the senseless loss of young lives.

National Child Month, observed this year under the theme, ‘Act Now! Stand Against Child Abuse and Exploitation’, wrapped on Saturday. But though it was marked by various activities and celebrations centred around children — including a National Day of Prayer — there were also incidents of violence against children, sparking widespread outrage and concern among Jamaicans.

Just nine days into the annual Child Month celebrations a police report indicated that a nine-year-old girl was found dead inside a barrel at her St Catherine home on Job Lane in Spanish Town. The girl was identified as Kelsey Ferrigon. It is suspected that she was raped before she was killed.

The main suspect, Giovanni Ellis, was shot dead during a reported confrontation with police in Sandy Bay, Clarendon, three days later.

The gruesome murder was condemned by government officials and State agencies, and Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness hinted at the need to review sections of the Sex Offender Registry. In another incident, four-year-old Gia Griniell died from a gunshot wound to the head at a residence in Ingleside, Mandeville, Manchester.

A police report stated that about 10:00 pm Gia, her 12-year-old sibling, and their mother Yanique Brown, were at home when the shooting happened. The report stated that Brown told detectives that she put both children to bed and went to use the restroom when she heard a loud explosion.

The mother’s licensed firearm was reportedly left in her bag. Brown was charged with child negligence and breach of duty to securely store a firearm and ammunition.

And four days before the end of May a decomposing body believed to be that of missing eight-year-old Navardo Blackburn was found in a car in Gregory Park, St Catherine.

Navardo, who is autistic, was last seen at a playing field in the community on May 24.

According to a police report, residents complained about a foul scent coming from a parked car in the community at about 3 pm. The body was later found in the car under a piece of cardboard with a crate on top of it.

St Catherine East Central Member of Parliament Alando Terrelonge described the tragic outcome of the search for the eight-year-old as a “dire situation”.

Also in May, more than 50 Ananda Alerts were issued by both the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) and the Child Protection and Family Safety Agency (CPFSA).

The Ananda Alert system is Jamaica’s response mechanism implemented to ensure the safe and speedy recovery of a child in the event that he or she goes missing. Before the Ananda Alert system there was a red alert system that would require individuals to wait 24 hours before making a missing person report to the police.

However, due to the unfortunate incidents that in 2008 that led to the discovery of the decomposing body of Ananda Dean in bushes after she was reported missing, the 24-hour requirement was removed. Individuals are now urged to report a child as missing immediately after all steps taken to locate them have failed.

During a webinar held in observance of International Missing Children’s Day, Ananda Alert officer at the CPFSA, Annadjae Roberts shared that 1,011 children were reported missing in 2024.

Roberts said of the children who were reported missing last year, 89 per cent of them have returned home and 11 per cent are still missing. The data for 2024 also showed that 301 reports about missing children were filed in St Catherine, the most among all 14 parishes. Kingston and St Andrew had 200 missing children reports, while Clarendon had 93. Portland had the least number, with 12 reports about missing children.

During the webinar she noted that a significant portion of children who go missing run away from their homes. She urged parents to be involved in their children’s lives and to look out for changes in their behaviour that might be suspicious.

“Don’t be afraid to sit down and have conversations with them. Yes, some of the times the conversations may be a little bit uncomfortable for both you and…them but it’s important for you to have those conversations with them,” said Roberts.

“In most cases, if you don’t have those conversations with them then it opens a pathway for strangers to have those conversations with them — and those are some of the reasons why sometimes persons get to abduct children,” she said.

Roberts added that when a missing child returns home, the CPFSA conducts follow-up investigations to identify and rectify issues in the home.

Parents were also informed about the various social media platforms that predators might use to lure children, such as Snapchat and Telegram. They were urged to ensure they supervise their children’s social media usage and informed about key words and symbols that have sexual connotations.

Meanwhile, Sergeant Leon Golding, a member of the Jamaica Constabulary Force’s Community Safety and Security Branch, said the police work to ensure that investigations are done for each missing person report, but noted that they cannot do it alone.

“We need your help in becoming a member of the neighbourhood watch organisations, ensuring that your children become members of the police youth club movement, and assisting in the mentoring of the youth of today. We believe that if we can get those three pillars to work we would have an effective way in which we protect our children on a day-to-day basis,” he said.

Golding further noted that the JCF also has a Safe Schools Programme which has 291 trained school resource officers at 154 participating schools islandwide, and they are focused on the mentorship of students.

A photo of slain nine-year-old Kelsey Ferrigon is shown on this cellphone placed in the middle of candles positioned in the shape of a heart on her desk at St John’s Primary School in St Catherine. (Photo: Naphtali Junior)

A photo of four-year-old Gia Griniell who was shot dead during a reported incident at her home in Ingleside, Mandeville.

Ananda Alert officer at the Child Protection and Family Safety Agency, Sergeant Leon Golding, speaking during a webinar to mark International Missing Children’s Day on May 26.