St. John's Primary mourns death of 9-y-o Kelsey Ferrigon

 

It was a mournful morning at St. John's Primary in Spanish Town, St. Catherine when Radio Jamaica News visited the institution on Monday morning. 

 

The body of Kelsey Ferrigon, a student of the school, was found about 9:00 p.m. Friday, inside a barrel at her home, covered with pieces of clothing. It is believed she was raped before being killed. 

 

Most teachers wore black on Monday morning and similarly coloured flags were hoisted inside the perimeter fence. The mood is expected to intensify later in the day when students and teachers on the afternoon shift, to which Kelsey was assigned, enter the compound. 

 

Officials from the Education Ministry, police and other government agencies joined in offering grief counselling and support services, which Vice Principal Rosina Slater said will continue for the rest of the day. Ms. Slater said the mood has been sombre as students come to the realisation that their schoolmate has been killed.

 

"Trauma is very, let me say, devastating. And even some of them are just coming and hearing it today - because they might have been hearing it over the weekend, but they don't know that it was here - so they are hearing that this girl belongs to us. She might have been my friend. I might have passed her in the school yard. We might have played together, and to know that she's no longer here...it's traumatic for them. So that's why we just have to try and just be there for them as best we can," said the vice principal. 

 

Stacey Ann, the mother of a grade 4 student, told Radio Jamaica News that she will be keeping watch outside the institution until the first shift is dismissed. She expressed fear for her son's safety.

 

"My son, him really understand it because mi show him. That's why mi deh here from after 6 [a.m.] and mi nah lef til 11:30 when school call because mi fraid. Him a boy and mi fraid. Mi tell him seh don't leave the compound until him see him mother or him family. And if a me inna that position deh and my pickney dead, mi nah ask Christ weh mi aguh do," the woman lamented.  

 

Senior Superintendent Hopton Nicholson, Commanding officer for the St. Catherine North Division, has appealed to children to follow the instructions of their parents and guardians to protect them from abuse. He has also encouraged children to speak up if they feel unsafe.

 

Superintendent Nicholson said, while it is true that it takes a village to raise a child, some people should not be around children.

 

"Your parents will tell you, will give you some instructions that you are not so comfortable with. But it's for your own good. We want you to be safe. We are more experienced than you. Your teachers have more experience. And whenever they give you particular instructions, it's for your own good. We know some of you will cry. We know some of you will be having issues. And I know that counsellors from the Ministry of Education will be coming in as well. But we are hoping, we are hoping that the death of this precious soul will be a turning point where persons understand that the force of the law will be brought to those who hurt our children," he declared. 

 

SSP Nicholson made the appeal on Monday morning while speaking with students at St. John's Primary. 

 

In the meantime, Children's Advocate Diahann Gordon Harrison said the family of Kelsey Ferrigon, particularly her siblings, will be receiving ongoing support to cope with her death. Mrs. Gordon Harrison said direct intervention will also be extended to students at St. John's Primary School.

 

"So while we are mindful of the other interventions that are taking place, our focus primarily now will be on that five-year-old and the 16-year-old and of course the students, particularly those in Kelsey's class at St. John's Primary, because we know that this is not going to go away for a very long time and they are going to need ongoing support. So what that will look like is we have an emergency responder's unit within the Office of the Children's Advocate that has been activated, and then beyond that now to provide support even when we can't be there in person," she outlined. 

 

The Children's Advocate was speaking Monday on TVJ's Smile Jamaica.