By Warren Bertram
The police are continuing to probe the circumstances that led to the abduction and attempted murder of an eight-year-old girl on Thursday.
Superintendent Christopher Phillips, Commanding Officer for the St. Catherine South Police Division, said investigators are conducting interviews.
"We are still hoping to find out the truth because the investigators have not spoken to all the parties concerned as yet. They’re actually doing that now. So, as soon as we get those other parts of the puzzle, then we can give a fulsome report on how things unfolded. I don’t want us to speculate and take things out of context," he told Radio Jamaica News.
Superintendent Phillips said the police in both the St. Catherine South and St. Andrew Central divisions are collaborating on the investigation.
The girl was abducted from Braeton Primary School in Portmore, St. Catherine.
Reports are that her throat was slashed and she was thrown from a vehicle along Roosevelt Avenue in the St. Andrew Central police division.
Investigators say the child was seen walking along the busy thoroughfare.
She bumped into a vehicle and the driver made inquiries.
The motorist realised that the girl had a wound to her neck and rushed her to Bustamante Hospital for Children where she underwent surgery.
Heartless
Mayor of Portmore Leon Thomas has expressed sadness at the incident, calling it a heartless attack.
"To slash a eight-year-old child’s throat and leave her to die, I am wondering if that person have any brother, any sister or any heart at all to carry out such a gruesome act."
Mr. Thomas appealed to members of the community to continue to be vigilant and look out for each other, especially young children.
A parent at Braeton Primary, while expressing shock at the incident, said she is concerned about the safety of her child who also attends the school.
The woman said the incident has left her emotional and distressed.
"Mi very concerned, mi very cut up and mi very hurt 'bout this and mi know seh mi woulda want justice to come to this. Mi a talk to yuh and mi body run cold. Mi nuh know di parent of the child, mi nuh really know di child, but mi a tell yuh seh mi heart burn mi. And di person weh do dis to dis likkle girl, mi tell yuh Fada God, mi a beg yuh, duh, just mek dem come to justice. Please, mi a beg yuh God," she lamented.
