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Anastasia Cunningham, News Coordinator

Child molested, believed pregnant for grand uncle

An 11-year-old girl was on Monday admitted to the St Ann’s Bay Hospital, reportedly pregnant for her 63-year-old grand uncle, who she lived with in Carlton Mountain, Claremont in St Ann.

Sitting at the hospital in tears yesterday, the child’s mother related to The Gleaner that on Friday her daughter came home complaining of a severe bellyache and headache.

“Me make her some ginger tea with cerassee and tell her to lie down. But whole weekend she a bawl fi har belly and she nah eat anything, so me decide to carry her to clinic Monday,” said the 31-year-old mother.

She said the doctor at the Claremont Clinic was concerned after examining the child and told the mother she needed to do a pregnancy test.

“Me ask har how she mean pregnancy test and she only 11 years old,” said the mother.

The test came back positive and the mother said she was told the child was three to four months pregnant. It was also revealed that the child had fresh vaginal scarring which indicated penetration within the last three days. She also had an infection.

The police were called in and after prompting, the child revealed that it was the common-law husband of her grand aunt who was responsible. Around 5 p.m. on Monday, the accused was arrested at his home.

“She tell the police and the doctor say it going on for a long time now, so me ask why she never tell me and she say him threaten her,” said the child’s father, who declared he was sickened after listening to his daughter describe in details of what was done to her.

“When she see him come to the station she start tremble,” added the father, who lives in Moneague.

The 11-year-old was taken to the St Ann’s Bay Hospital and admitted. However, the mother said she was told a second pregnancy test came back negative. The child was scheduled to be sedated for a procedure to be performed last night.

Her parents said they still cannot get her to eat.

The child, the second of three for her mother, had been living with her grandaunt and the accused since she was nine months old. Her mother, who was living in Kingston for a few years, moved back to Carlton Mountain in February.

“A them raise me so me trust them that much to raise me child,” said the still tearful mom.

“After everything happen, the only thing she [grand aunt] say to me is to ask me fi the $1,000 me owe har.”

COMMUNITY IN SHOCK

A visit to the Carlton Mountain community saw residents gathered discussing the incident in shock and disbelief.

Several were upset that the police had acted so quickly because they had planned to deliver their own justice. They disclosed that it was after the man’s arrest that they heard about the incident and more information came to light.

“A lucky them lucky, ’cause a bun wi did a guh bun down dat,” one angry man stated bringing back memories of a mob killing in Trelawny early Monday morning.

“The whole family must be arrested ’cause them know what him up to an uphold the slackness. Them know is long time him doing it and is not the first,” stated a resident.

“Arrest? A wey yuh a talk ’bout. A beat we fi beat them,” the man countered.

“I am very sad and disappointed. I have not slept from last night,” said another.

They described the child as withdrawn, hardly speaking to anyone.

“We always wonder how she always keep to herself and don’t really talk to anybody,” a resident said.

The grand aunt is denying the claim, disclosing that based on the living arrangements in the three-bedroom home shared by five of them, it was not possible.

“Me nuh leave her alone so me nuh see how him coulda do that,” she said.

“When me ask him ’bout it, him say him nuh know nothing bout that and all them have to do is a DNA test to see what is what, she said.

The principal and guidance counsellor from the school the 11-year-old attends also came to visit the grand aunt.

“To say we are shocked and surprised is an understatement. We did not suspect anything like this. In fact, she had just mastered her Grade Four Literacy Test,” said the principal.

“This is a close-knit community. Everyone knows each other. I always say everyone in Carlton Mountain related by blood or religion.”

The residents agreed, but noted that for the close to 40 years they have known the accused, he always kept to himself.

“Him is a man wey just go work and stay in or work him farm. Him nuh really talk to nobody, suh we really don’t know him so well,” stated a neighbour.

A senior police officer with the Centre for the Investigation of Sexual Offences and Child Abuse’s St Ann’s Bay office confirmed the incident, stating that the accused was now in custody while they conduct their investigation and await the medical report.

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