CASE students protest security concerns following alleged rape
KINGSTON, Jamaica — Students at the College of Agriculture, Science and Education (CASE) mounted a protest on the institution’s western campus on Tuesday, citing concerns about campus safety following the alleged rape of a student over the weekend.
Among the protesters was Nackelia Jackson, a fourth-year animal science student, who said the incident has heightened long-standing concerns about inadequate security arrangements on the campus.
“This is not the first, this is the second rape that has taken place here since I have been a part of this institution,” Jackson said.
She explained that after a previous incident, security measures were implemented but only temporarily. According to Jackson, those efforts lasted for about a month before the campus reverted to what she described as a “free for all”.
“Anybody can come on campus without authorisation…You see persons on campus that don’t have no business here…they are just walking up and down, free will,” she said.
Jackson also recounted a personal experience that added to her fear, stating that she once encountered a “big man” inside her dormitory building, with no apparent action taken in response.
She further criticised the placement of surveillance cameras on campus, noting that they are primarily located at the Goat Unit and the farm.
“Why are the animals getting more security than us? That does not make any type of sense. Clearly they value the lives of the animals more than us,” Jackson said.
Jackson added that she learned of the most recent rape through media reports rather than from the institution.
“My mother sent me here for a degree, not to come with a degree and to be victimised…That could have been me, that could have been my classmate. That could have literally been any female,” she said.
She also expressed frustration with what she perceives as a lack of accountability from the administration.
“The college has yet to address the situation. It’s just frustrating because in an environment where we are supposed to feel safe, why do I feel so afraid even in my own dorm room?” Jackson added.
