11-Y-O GIRL’S PREGNANCY UPSETS RESIDENTS
Residents of a Corporate Area community say they are imploring adult males to desist from having sexual intercourse with underage girls. Their pleas come after it recently came to light that an 11-year-old girl was approximately four months pregnant, allegedly for a man within the area. Minutes before THE WEEKEND STAR visited the community, officers from The Centre For Investigation Of Sexual Offences & Child Abuse (CISOCA) had whisked away the mother and the child, and the matter was the hot topic among residents of the inner-city avenue. “Things like this make me feel sick to mi stomach, to know say she have to go carry a baby ya now. Right now, me don’t want me kids dem out a mi sight at all, but me have to work. We are scared because this could happen to any one a we daughter. The man dem just wah see likkle breast and b***y a get broad, and dem start put in dem lyrics,” a woman said.
Another woman, however, said that she is not surprised by the incident, claiming that a lot of teenage girls are being ‘groomed’ by men, who are sometimes three times their age.
CARRYING OUT INVESTIGATIONS
“Things just get loud up bout her because she get pregnant, but a nuff a di little girl dem round here the man dem a target off fi f**k. As soon as yuh pickney start grow, yuh hear di man dem a say how dem a grow nice and dem a dem ‘godfather’ and dem name not on any documents to say that,” a resident said.
Head of CISOCA, Superintendent Charmaine Shand, confirmed the incident. She noted that the police from her department are carrying out investigations.
Meanwhile, it is alleged that the child has pointed to a teenager in the community as the father of her unborn child. But, according to some of the residents, at least three other males could be responsible for the pregnancy.
Reflecting on the situation, a relative said that he is disheartened by what happened. He has also blamed the child’s mother, labelling her as irresponsible.
“A jail she fi go because a she allow tings like dis fi happen. This is big carelessness, and me stomach sick when me hear about it. Her mother f**k up, and me hope the law deal with her the right way,” he said.
His reaction was met with some criticism, as some persons described the mother as a hardworking woman, who tried her best to protect her three children.
Another resident, however, added that some of the mothers in the community are to be blamed for high numbers of statutory rape within the area.
“Nuff madda round here bruk dem pickney bad. If you ever see dem (kids) inna corna with a man and say anything, dem tell you bout yuh madda, and dem mother agree with them and tell you fi stop wash yuh mouth pon dem pickney. Also, if you lick yuh pickney when dem a bad, police a come lock you up. So what must we do when di likkle gyal dem decide say dem a go tek man and get bad,” a resident said.