(Jamaica Star) A 13-year-old girl was allegedly raped by an older student at a St Catherine High School, after she refused to give him $50.
The child’s mother said the incident took place on November 13, when her daughter went to use the restroom.
“She said she was in the bathroom and there was a Grade 10 boy standing outside, who kept opening and closing the bathroom door. When she finished using the bathroom, he told her that she had to pay him $50 to come out, and she told him she didn’t have any money,” the mother told THE STAR.
When his demand was not met, the boy reportedly closed the restroom door but reopened it minutes later to let in another Grade 10 student, who reportedly wanted to wash her hands.
“My daughter still remained in the bathroom because she was scared and was hoping he was going to leave. The boy then went in and held her by her throat. She tried to wrestle him off but he overpowered her. She said another Grade Eight girl came in and asked him if he needed privacy and she told him to go over the other side of the bathroom with my daughter and he went over there and braced her on the wall,” she said.
OUT OF FEAR
The teenager told her mother that the other female student did not come to her assistance. Instead, she sat on a chair during the ordeal.
The mother stated that the 13-year-old did not immediately report the matter out of fear, but rumours began circulating around the school about the incident.
“Other children were coming to her and asking her if it was true that she got raped. One of her friends told the guidance counsellor about it. I took my daughter to the doctor who referred her to the Spanish Town Hospital. While I was there, another rape case from the same school came in and the police were there taking statement,” she said.
“Honestly, there are times when I feel like I want to take matters into my own hands but because it’s in the police hands already, I just leave it alone. This act on my little girl is a very cruel one. My daughter was a virgin before this incident. She wasn’t a talkative person and since the incident, she has gotten even more silent,” she said.
THE STAR reached out to the school for a comment, but we were told that the principal was out of office. Calls to the guidance counsellor and vice-principal’s desk also went unanswered.
