Prime Minister Urges Public’s Assistance with Investigations into Youngster’s Demise
By: , June 24, 2023
Photo: Mark Bell
Prime Minister the Most Hon. Andrew Holness (second left), and New Social Housing Programme (NSHP) beneficiary, Georgette Moving (second right), sign the social housing contract outlining her responsibilities as a homeowner under the initiative. Sharing the moment (from left) are Chair, Oversight Committee, NSHP, Judith Robb Walters; Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation and Member of Parliament, St. Catherine Southwest, Hon. Everald Warmington and (from left, standing) Ms. Moving’s daughter, Janelle Evans and Councillor, Old Harbour North, Keith Knight. Ms. Moving’s new home, which is located in Bamboo Ridge, St. Catherine Southwest, was handed over on Friday (June 23).The Full Story
Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, is again appealing to persons with information regarding the abduction and death of young Danielle Rowe to share it with the authorities.
“There must be somebody who, on that road, would have seen something. It may not, at the time, be anything that would raise an alarm, but it may have registered in your memory. If you [saw] something, please, I urge you, come forward. We cannot allow this crime to go unsolved,” he said.
Mr. Holness made the appeal during the handover ceremony for a two-bedroom unit in Bamboo Ridge, St. Catherine Southwest, under the New Social Housing Programme on June 23.
“There must be, in the society, this level of concern that goes beyond talk to action. I’m saying to our good Jamaican citizens, if you know something, take the action and share it. Redeem our national collective consciousness and morality,” the Prime Minister said.
June 23 is being observed as the National Day of Mourning for Jamaica’s children who have been victims of violence and abuse.
Meanwhile, the Prime Minister also appealed to Jamaicans to protect the nation’s children.
“Every Jamaican, every parent has a duty to protect our children. By definition, children are vulnerable; by definition, children are not able to protect themselves and, as an adult, you have not just a moral duty but under our Childcare and Protection Act and other pieces of legislation, you have a legal duty and obligation to protect children.
“You also have a legal duty under law that if you see a child being abused, if you see a child in danger, if you are aware of a child being groomed, of a child being targeted, you have a legal duty under our laws to report it to the police,” he said.
Mr. Holness informed that since the start of the year, seven of Jamaica’s children have been murdered, pointing out that the majority of the cases are related to domestic issues.
“The majority of the cases, instances in which the child was the victim of the crime, the child knew the perpetrator. So what that means is that the killing of our children is widely related to domestic issues, that it is usually a domestic conflict, not necessarily [involving] the child; but it could be a dispute between adults, and the child becomes the unfortunate victim in those disputes,” the Prime Minister said.
On Thursday, June 8, eight-year-old Danielle was abducted from Braeton Primary School in Portmore, St. Catherine, where she was a student. She succumbed in hospital on June 10 to injuries inflicted by her abductors.
June 23, 2023 was proclaimed as the National Day of Mourning by Governor-General, His Excellency the Most Hon. Sir Patrick Allen.