Son wants justice for mom
Jasmine Deen’s father desperate to find her Ja braces for increase COVID cases as borders open
Omari Stephens, the son of Susan Bogle, a disabled woman, who was shot and killed in August Town, St Andrew last week, says he wants the persons responsible for her death to get the full force of justice.
“It can’t be because of your address, you’re a constant target; because of where you live, you
It has now been more than three months since 22-year-old Jasmine Deen went missing. Since then, her father, Lloyd Deen, has been clinging to hope that one day he would be reunited with her. But now, his hope has grown into frustration.
“Me mad fi find my daughter. Me know she deh somewhere! Me caah sleep. All now me caah sleep. My life gone,” Lloyd told THE STAR.
Jasmine, a visually impaired student of The University of the West Indies, Mona, has been missing since Thursday, February 27. On March 18, the police announced that a person of interest had been identified in the case.
NOT SATISFIED
“The investigation is ongoing. The person that was picked up, he is still in custody. He was charged in relation to the ATM card that was used for a transaction in the ATM. have no right; your constitutional rights are constantly being breached. Those are the stuff that I am for, justice in the sense that the person who did this to my mom gets the full force of justice,” Stephens said.
PRIME MINISTER CALLED
“In my opinion, he acted just like a criminal and he should be dealt with as such. The prime minister
We would call that a holding charge, because he had her ATM card,” assistant commissioner of Police Fitz Bailey told THE STAR in April.
Attempts to contact Bailey for an update yesterday proved futile.
Meanwhile, Lloyd Deen, desperate to find his daughter, says he is not called and he said he is on it and he has reached out to the relevant authorities and reassured my family that he is there to support and we can reach out to him, I am really encouraged that he personally called,” Stephens added.
The 44-year-old woman was shot while she was in bed. It is alleged that soldiers chased someone into the yard and during an exchange of gunfire, Bogle was hit.
The matter is currently being probed by the Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM).
Yesterday, Major Basil Jarrett, civil/military cooperation and media officer for the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF), said the JDF members who were present during the operation have been reassigned to non-operational duties. Their weapons have also been taken for ballistics testing.
Prime Minister Andrew Holness said that having spoken to Stephens, he made it clear that “He didn’t want his mother’s death to go in vain or ignored by the State.” satisfied with the work being done by the police. “More time me not even hear nothing from them,” he said.
Lloyd is calling on the parents of other missing children across Jamaica. He hopes they can unite efforts and successfully bring their children home.
“Man deh yah a tek people pickney! The other children … weh dem live? Weh dem parents dem deh? Me wah go pon a campaign … me wah go pon a walk everywhere. We want the children dem. Me want my own! A wait me a wait, enuh.”
“Me nah stop til we find the pickney dem and we nah wait forever either. We nuh know wah fi do but this a get serious,” he added.
Prime Minister Andrew Holness says that there is likely to be an increase in the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases on the island, now that the Government is opening its borders. Starting today, until June 14, all persons seeking to re-enter Jamaica would be subject to testing, except for those entering from a country with low COVID-19 rates and having similar infection control systems like Jamaica.
Persons seeking to enter Jamaica from countries within this ‘travel bubble’ may not need to be tested on arrival. However, they would be subject to screening including temperature checks for symptoms.
“As we increase the rate of repatriation of Jamaicans and then move to allow non-nationals, effective June 15, to visit Jamaica, we recognise that even with the best will and the most faithful implementation of measures, there is likely to be an increase in our confirmed cases,” Holness said.
The number of COVID-19 cases on the island stood at 586 yesterday. Health Minister Dr Christopher Tufton says the numbers may increase with the opening of the country’s borders.
“Our COVID numbers will go up and there will be the increased likelihood of community spread, even with testing and the 14-day home quarantine,” he said.
He said that between March 10, when the first cases was detected on the island, and May 6, Jamaica had 34 imported cases of COVID-19. He said that since restrictions were relaxed and a controlled re-entry programme was put in place starting May 6, there have been 55 imported cases of the diseases based on the lifting of those restrictions.
STARTING THIS WEEK
“What is very clear is that with further lifting of restrictions that will take place starting this week and beyond, we are going to see cases grow exponentially,” the health minister said.
Meanwhile, the prime minister said that all returning residents must go through a sensitisation programme with a public health official, utilising flyers and audiovisuals. The Government is also considering a pledge document which returning residents would need to sign to show good faith, and, as a promise, that they will observe the protocols. Based on their health status and risk assessment by a public health officer, they may be subjected to a mandatory 14-day quarantine.
The prime minister said that it is imperative that further steps be taken towards the full reopening of the economy, adding that Jamaica, like most countries globally, has suffered a severe setback as a result of the pandemic.