Two Serial Rapists On The Loose In St. Ann’s Jamaica

According to the Jamaica Observer, a medical doctor at St Ann’s Bay Hospital and medical personnel have noticed a surge of women, as young as 12 to as old as over 50 years, who had gone missing for two or more days before showing up at the hospital stating that they were raped by two men.

The report states that the doctor said each of the women had a similar story. They were alone in broad daylight on busy streets when the men drove up, pulled them into a vehicle and intimidated them with a knife. They were then driven to unknown locations, as far as Portland, and raped for two days, most times unprotected, before being released.

The doctor added that on January 22, in a 12-hour period, six girls showed up at the hospital at different times with similar complaints of rape. The doctor said the locations are in and around Ocho Rios, communities like Pineapple and the Fern Gully area with some cases occurring in St Mary.

.The Sunday Observer said it had visited one relative of the woman, she was a picture of grief. She explained that the victim went missing on Wednesday and turned up Thursday night emotionally distraught and physically hurt.

The Jamaica Observer report: “It was her day off. She went to Ochi to buy something and on her way coming back – in broad daylight – she standing at the clock waiting to cross the road. By standing at the banking side waiting, they stopped the car, pulled her in and drove off with her. That’s what she tell us. It was two men and they both raped her, night and day until early morning when they kicked her out the car. They took her from Ochi to Portland. She had a $1,000 bill in her pocket and she paid her fare from there to get back into Ochi,” the relative said.

“When I talk to her she say she was near a bus stop so she walk and walk till she almost reach in the town. She follow the road go straight out and she see a lady and ask her where she was and she say she is in Portland. She went into the shop nearby and bought sanitary [supplies] and put on because she was torn up. I asked her where she get money from, she said she had a $1,000 in her pocket and pay her fare until she get back in Ochi,” the relative continued.

“When we get the news that she was in Ochi walking, acting strange and all a that I go down there with other family members and take her to the station, then the police carry her to the hospital. When we got there she never wanted anyone to touch her, she nuh wah see anybody. She was heading to the hospital and turn back so we caught her on the bypass in Ocho Rios.”

“If mi come face to face with them – jungle justice. And mi woulda feel good fi jungle justice because they will do it to someone else. Dem deh man deh nuh suppose to go a prison guh eat taxpayer money at all, dem nah nuh heart. Mi nuh think dem come out a woman. That sister don’t even really keep company. Is from church to home. She is a Christian lady. She just business with her work and home,” the relative said. “When I was by the hospital coming out of emergency, a police carry in another case where the same thing had happened to that person too. When she admitted and leaving the next morning, another case had come in too. So I guess it’s something going around. You hear about these things happening at night, not middle day.”

Superintendent Dwight Powell, commanding officer of the St Ann police division, told the Sunday Observer that since the start of this year there have been five reported rapes across St Ann, an increase compared to what was reported last year.

“There are three incidents coming out of Ocho Rios, one over in Moneague and one in Claremont. Even though Claremont and Moneague are close to Ocho Rios, the police jurisdiction is different. We are a little worse than where we were last year at the same time. We would have concluded the year, last year, with 15 rapes on the books, 12 of which were cleared by arrest and persons placed before the courts. It seems we have an uptick since the start of the year,” Superintendent Powell said.

Further, the St Ann commanding officer said while the investigations were not leading to any connections between the incidents, two reports which indicate abduction and sexual assault were creating widespread apprehension in Ocho Rios.

He said the incidents were under active investigation and so far, the only lead is the common thread with the vehicle.

“The victims will be asked to assist us via identification parade when we reach that stage. But for the time being, what we are seeing from investigation is a silver or white motor vehicle being used in the two incidents mentioned. The information coming from the victims will be critical but that’s the only description they could give us at the time to work with. People out there may know or see something, so we’re appealing to the public, if there is any information in the space, feel free to come to any police station in St Ann or where they are comfortable to assist us with any information. As long as we get those information, then we will be able to work and see how best we can bring a satisfactory end to this situation,” Superintendent Powell said.