CPFSA intervenes to ensure safety of American teenagers taken from facility in St Elizabeth
Published:Thursday | March 28, 2024 | 1:15 PM
The Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA) says it has intervened to ensure the safety of eight American teenage boys at the Atlantis Leadership Academy in St Elizabeth, amid allegations of abuse.
The boys, aged 14 to 18, are US citizens who were residing at the facility.
The CPFSA says the alleged abuse came to light during an unannounced welfare check on February 8, conducted jointly with representatives from the US Embassy in Kingston.
It says during the visit, signs of abuse and neglect were observed, leading to the immediate removal of the teens from the facility for their safety.
The following day, the matter was presented in the local family court where an interim order was granted for the CPFSA to retain custody of the children while further investigations are conducted.
The case was subsequently referred to the Criminal Investigations Branch of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) in St Elizabeth for a separate investigation.
The CPFSA says seven of the teens are now being safeguarded in Residential Child Care Facilities, while an 18 year old, who aged out of the children's court jurisdiction, was returned to the United States in February.
“Our priority is the well-being of these children while they are in Jamaica. They have undergone medical assessments and are generally in good health, receiving ongoing care, including specialised psychotherapeutic support. We are also collaborating with the International Social Services (ISS-USA) for the safe reintegration of these teens with their families," Laurette Adams-Thomas, the head of the CPFSA, states.
Adams-Thomas says the CPFSA and ISS-USA are working together on home assessments to ensure safe environments for the teens upon their return.
The CPFSA is to return to court on April 3 to provide updates on the home studies and any further legal proceedings.
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