The riveting testimony of a woman who eight years ago was among the victims of a convicted serial rapist reminds us of how such trauma can have far-reaching, long-lasting impact on mental health.

Mr Dewayne Redfin, 37, who pleaded guilty to raping five women, was last month sentenced to 11 years in prison on each of five counts of rape, six years each for five counts of grievous sexual assault, five years each for five counts of forcible abduction, and six years each on three counts of robbery with aggravation. The sentences are to run concurrently. He has been in custody since 2017.

Now 33 years old, the victim, who spoke to the Sunday Observer, says her life has been turned upside down since the horrific incident while on her way home from work in what she thought was a taxi cab.

She says she has twice come close to attempting suicide; her long-term romantic relationship is at risk; she struggles with panic attacks as well as claustrophobia; she has suffered sleep deprivation and the delusional sense of being constantly watched.

She is unable to hold down a job because of a chronic fear of public transportation.

A trained professional in the hospitality industry, her career is now on hold.

Making her mental and emotional stress more acute is the feeling that her attacker has not received his due reward. In fact, she lives in fear of the day he is released from prison.

“I am counting down [the 11 years] because I know him [Redfin] a come back a road, and from the fact that him a come a road mi brain nah go rest. I am anticipating it…” she told our reporter.

Inevitably, the thought arises of whether enough is done for victims in situations such as this.

We hear, for example, that Mr Redfin’s sentencing was carried out in the absence of his victims although they had to face him time and again in court in order to put him away.

She speaks of the strain endured by her and other victims of having to re-live the trauma on every court date.

In relation to her fear of the attacker’s eventual release, we are reminded of the long-running debate as to whether legislation relating to a sex offender registry should be revisited. And, should such offenders be required to wear or have inserted an electronic tag of some sort so that their whereabouts are known by the authorities at all times.

Beyond all that, victims of trauma such as described in the Sunday Observer need long-term professional counselling. Is that readily available?

And, while in this case adults suffered horrific, mind-altering abuse, what of children who suffer similarly?

In that respect, Minister of Education Senator Dr Dana Morris Dixon told the State-run Jamaica Information Service that her ministry has contracted a number of psychologists and psychiatrists to support traumatised schoolchilden.

This follows what’s being described as growing mental health challenges facing children from troubled communities.

Said the minister: “Sometimes we say, ‘Oh, look at that school, look at their performance.’ Did you ever stop to think that that school has children who have been traumatised from they were born, and their brains have been rewired in a particular way? They’re coming to school not really ready for learning and you have to undo that…”

Clearly, emotional/mental trauma and how it’s to be treated in our increasingly complex and challenging world needs multi-faceted, carefully thought-out solutions.

Yet another task for our leaders, post-election 2025.