School accused of cover-up
October 13, 2006
Detectives from the Centre for Investigation of Sexual Offences and Child Abuse (CISOCA) are probing allegations that five boys, all nine years old, sexually assaulted a seven-year-old girl at the Dunrobin Primary School in St Andrew on September 28.
At the same time, the mother of the girl is accusing the school of trying to cover up the alleged assault, saying that school officials took more than a week to inform her of the incident.
"How I feel, I start to cry same time. look from when dis happen to my child and is now dem just telling mi," the girl's mother told the Observer.
Yesterday, Inspector Dutress Foster-Gardner of CISOCA said that the centre had ordered a medical examination of the girl, which showed that her hymen had been broken.
Foster-Gardner said that the boys and their parents, the girl and her parents and officials from the school will be appearing in the Family Court today to arrive at a resolution.
"The law says boys under the age of 14 cannot commit rape," she said, adding that the judge would have to decide on the course of action all parties will take.
Foster-Gardner was referring to the Offences Against the Person Act, a section of which stipulates that a person under age 14 cannot be charged with rape.
Yesterday, the girl's mother said she was informed about the alleged assault by the guidance counsellor on Monday of this week when she went to the school to check on Hertiage Week activities.
She said she returned to the school yesterday, but was not pleased with the response of school officials.
"Di principal not giving me nuh good argument," the exasperated mother told the Observer. She said it appeared the principal, Robert Gilles, was siding with the boys....
Author: Kerry McCatty
Source: Jamaica Observer
