A St Catherine man was arrested after allegedly raping a 7-year-old girl while she was heading home from school. The incident happened in Treadways, Linstead. The child was reportedly dragged into the bushes and drugged before being sexually assaulted on Thursday afternoon.
According to the child’s father, the little girl was walking home from school at about 2:30 p.m. when she was attacked. According to her father, the child normally waits for a ride after school, but when her driver did not arrive on Thursday, she started the journey home on foot.
The father told Radio Jamaica News that the man was hiding in the bushes and emerged behind her. He reportedly pulled her into the bushes and forcefully fed her a substance before covering her mouth to prevent her from making any sounds.
Based on the father’s accounts, what she ingested caused her to lose alertness, leaving her disoriented and unable to react. After some time, the drug effects began to subside, and the child fled the scene.”
“After the drowsiness come outta har now, a suh comes she come outta di bush and start cry,” he told the media.
A resident was driving nearby when they saw the devastated 7-year-old and immediately stopped. The father said the child told the resident her traumatic experience, prompting the individual to transport her to the local hospital. A medical examination later confirmed that she was indeed drugged.
More residents came together and formed a search party for the child’s attacker. The suspect was detained by the group when he was spotted loitering in the neighbourhood. The police were alerted, and the suspect was handed over to the authorities after residents questioned him.
The report says that the child has since positively identified the suspect as her attacker. He shared that his daughter is now under medical care and is also receiving counselling to help her cope with the trauma.