It was while waiting for the transfer and serving his initial time in the low security facility he came across the alleged gay youth where an altercation occurred after which he attacked his victim with the usual anti gay Jamaican parlance to boot. Visits have since been curtailed by the authorities pending his transfer and since the first attack on the youth who suffered cuts, bruises and a black and blue eye the matter was taken to court prior to his sentencing for his original charges, it turns out that six more months were added to his original sentence for assault and in revenge he took it out on the victim again blaming him for extending his incarceration and his subsequent transfer to the Bamboo centre in St Ann, a higher security facility for juveniles who have committed crimes which has isolation for several hours as a means of punishment included and limited freedoms; the lesser facility only allows under law two or so hours for solitary confinement with classes.
How did the accused get access to the victim to enact a second round of abuse is what has disturbed those of us who are watching the situation, why was he allowed to get to him in the face of pending transfer and the nature of the incident. The second attack took place in late January to early February as the boys do come into contact with each other during breakfast time according to my source and school session as classes do continue for them despite their incarceration or detention pending their respective cases both in court and internally handled by the Child Development Agency and respective non governmental groups and experts as well.
I gather that more charges are to be laid against the accused for the second round once they are filed by the relevant persons including a guardian of some type but as that is pending other boys have taken the opportunity to verbally abuse the victim although the teachers, a few warders and one member of the psycho-social team has intervened to offer counselling; it is reported that one other member of the team has suggested some sort of reparative course of action or abstinence to "change" him for now until he is an adult then he can make his own decision.
The accused parents (step mother and father in this case) are the only ones allowed to see him as it was subsequently revealed that he has been egged on by his other teen colleagues to continue to abuse the victim at the same time another case may be pending with the same victim unconfirmed reports state as another male in the facility has been accused of abuse as well. The victim is said to be soft spoken when compared to the other males who are vociferous and anti social. A recently displaced young gay man also has been on the run following absconding bail for a stabbing incident in St Mary but had to flee following his sexuality being revealed by his mother. He has been seen also in New Kingston with the homeless teens there in and around the gully where the other young gay, bi and transgender teens reside near the gully on Trafalgar Road.
That teen has been accused of robbing some of the other men in the same area and also has a pending matter of stealing a high end phone from a man's house where he was offered temporary shelter.
The matter of abuse in the juvenile correctional/rehabilitation centres has been of concern to me since early 2013 when a previous case was brought to my attention of another beating incident by other wards. Then there are the issues to do with sexual assault allegedly by persons in the care of the wards and amongst themselves too. The recent revelation of a certain Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Youth has only sought to add insult to injury and the conversation around rights in the Jamaica for LGBT people has been tainted yet again by the conflation of abuse and same gender sex.
Other displacements have been disturbing with some victims as low aged as fourteen with recent reports from Clarendon, St Catherine and Portland. The scattering of the populations in New Kingston is being monitored as some persons have moved northwards despite we are told that fund raising is being carried out to open a shelter for them and gratuitous helpings by some and as for the older members of the defunct Safe House some are still out there as evidenced in the recent video on the plight of gay prostitutes.
Meanwhile
The following volunteer positions are now open in the Response idea announcement:
1. Care package distributions
2. Mentoring of the youth
Job Descriptions
Mentors
A. Holding regular formal and informal meetings with the youth so they can air their desires, concerns, suggestions and opinions.
B. Meet with youth individually as well as in groups.
C. Identify particular challenges facing the youths.
D. Maintain profiles of the youth
E. Write reports on outcome of dialogue with youth.
Food delivery and coordination
A. Identify food needs
B. Identify those within the group who can be help responsible for preparing food, when food for cooking is needed.
C. Purchase and deliver food supplies
D. Keep accounts of food purchases.
E. Ensure food distributions is equitable
F. Identify liaise with, and monitor caters when cooked food is provide.
Question is where are the psycho social experts who are to guide this activity simply calling for mentors without the proper rationale behind it is just foolhardy to me. The previous Safe House had the needed pieces but we know the politics behind its closure and subsequent demolition of the JASL former office hence the preponderance of homeless teens today.
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Peace and tolerance
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