...- Woman mourns sexual assault and murder of 11-year-old son
November 14, 2008
Overwhelmed with grief, Ketura Bennett yesterday recalled the good times she shared with her son, Christopher Suckra, whose body was found hours earlier in cane fields at Blue Castles, near Georges Plain, in Westmoreland.
The boy had been sexually molested.
"He always says that he is going to stay with me and take care of me," a tearful Bennett told The Gleaner. "Anywhere I am going, he always wanted to come just to ensure that I am alright."
Found nude
Christopher, a seventh-grade student at Petersfield High School in the parish, was found nude with stab and chop wounds.
"If me feel sick, him get alcohol and rub me back and say, 'Mama me a go tek care a yuh'. Dem kill Chris and I don't know how me a go live it out," Bennett continued.
There has been a recent spate of attacks against the country's children, prompting the Government to respond with a $23-million allocation to facilitate an emergency response service for children. However, no date has yet beenannounced for the implementation of the three-digit, toll-free system.
The Banbury Wesleyan Holiness Church, where Christopher was a member, is offering counselling and prayers to the bereaved family.
"We are here trying to bring some amount of calm to the family," said Pastor Kevin Waite. "But it will take a while before Sister Bennett and her family get over this tragic situation."
Did not return home
The police report that Christopher left home for school about 10 a.m. on Wednesday on his bicycle. When he did not return home at his usual hour, his mother became concerned....
Author: Dalton Laing
Source: Jamaica Gleaner
