Father of murdered child charged with damaging home of alleged killer in St Vincent

KINGSTOWN, CMC – The police in St Vincent have charged the father of the one-year-old baby girl, whose throat was slit last Saturday, after he reportedly damaged the home where the alleged killer lives.

The man, Lenroy Robertson, appeared in the Kingstown Magistrate's Court, on a charge that on February 10, without lawful excuse, he damaged three glass windows and one aluminium and glass door by chopping them with a cutlass with intent to damage the property.

Robertson, who was represented by counsel Ronald Marks at his arraignment, pleaded not guilty to the charge and was granted bail with one surety.

The matter has been adjourned to February 21.

On Monday, police said a 22-year-old man was assisting their investigations into the death of the child.

The person, identified as a close relative of the child, was arrested Saturday night and the police are yet to issue a statement on the case, the second child killing in St Vincent and the Grenadines in less than a year.

Initial reports were that the suspect said that the baby and the her father were demon-possessed and must be killed to cleanse the village. The suspect is said to have climbed through a window when the child's mother was in the shower and slit his throat.

The baby was rushed to a health facility, where she was pronounced dead.

Follow The Gleaner on X and Instagram @JamaicaGleaner and on Facebook @GleanerJamaica. Send us a message on WhatsApp at 1-876-499-0169 or email us at onlinefeedback@gleanerjm.com or editors@gleanerjm.com.