A litany of charges has been laid against several schoolboys who were arrested for the violent sexual assault of a 13-year-old girl.
The vicious assault which was video recorded, has been widely circulated on social media.
The Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA) advised on Monday that the boys have been charged with rape, forcible abduction, knowing and producing child pornography and distributing child pornography.
Investigations so far reveal that the boys allegedly lured the 13-year-old to a house where she was sexually assaulted and the act was recorded.
The police have warned persons to desist from sharing the video as it is a criminal offence to do so.
Meanwhile, the CPFSA has advised that it is providing psychological intervention for the victim.
“We were made aware of the video early Saturday morning on November 23, 2024. Our investigating team located the victim and her family and met with them on Sunday, November 24, 2024 where brief counselling was provided,” said Laurette Adams-Thomas, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at the CPFSA.
She shared that the child was referred to the Victims Services Division for additional support.
She was also scheduled to receive a medical assessment on Monday. Adams-Thomas said the agency will continue to work with the family through its Children and Family Support Unit.
“We strongly condemn this despicable act that was meted out to this girl. The levels of violence we continue to see being displayed by our children are of grave concern. Sadly, this also seems to be a reflection of the violence and disrespect towards women and girls that permeate our society,” the CEO said.
“We need to do more now to protect our children and future.
These kinds of maladaptive behaviours in our schools and communities must not be condoned and we must teach our boys that masculinity is not synonymous with abuse,” she added.
Adams-Thomas also urged individuals to report any and all forms of child abuse using the 24-hour child abuse reporting hotline 211.
She said child abuse reports may also be made through WhatsApp/text at 876-878-2882, e-mail [email protected] or by visiting any CPFSA parish office, or through our social media pages (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter) @cpfsajm.
