St. Catherine North Police note increase in reports of sexual offences

 

The St. Catherine North Police are reporting an increase in reports of sexual offences. 

 

Commanding Officer Senior Superintendent Hopton Nicholson explained that this is due to people feeling more confident in the abilities of the police to handle their reports. 

 

"We realise that so far this year, the reports of sexual offences compared to last year has been on the increase, and that's the reports. I just want to clarify, a lot of these reports, the incident took place a year or two years ago, but the reports are just coming to us as persons are now confident to report them. What is disturbing is that majority of the perpetrators identified so far this year are persons who are supposed to be the protectors of the victims. We're talking about fathers, we're talking about grandfathers, uncles, cousins, family friends and other caregivers," he pointed out.

 

Senior Superintendent Nicholson said the victims range in age from 3 to 42 years, while the perpetrators are between the ages of 12 and 80 years old. 

 

SSP Nicholson was speaking Monday afternoon at St. John's Primary School in St. Catherine where nine-year-old Kelsey Ferrigon had been a student. 

 

The Grade 3 student was raped and killed at her home on Friday. 

 

SSP Nicholson appealed to parents and guardians to be vigilant in protecting their children and called for people not to turn a blind eye to suspicious activity.

 

"We also implore citizens to report any suspicion of abuse against children and ensure that you tell the police the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth," he warned. "A parent was recently arrested and charged for failing to report child abuse which was known to her. Now she's before the court".