Too many children are being murdered - PTA Region 4 boss

WESTERN BUREAU:

Julia James-Spence, the All-Island Parent-Teacher Association (AIPTA) chairman for Region Four, says that the killing of students in the region has hit an alarming level, and she is calling for persons to seek counselling instead of resorting to violence to settle contentious matters.

"Over the past few months, we have lost a number of our students violently," said James-Spence, whose organisation covers St James, Westmoreland, and Hanover. "I am appealing to parents, if it is that you have a situation at home, please seek counselling, and don't allow that situation to claim the life of your child."

James-Spence is also calling on the various parent-teacher association (PTA) bodies to help in setting up conflict resolution groups in the schools across the region.

"I am also making an appeal to the PTA bodies. We need to unveil more conflict resolution strategies in our schools," she said. "These killings of students call for more partnerships with schools. We are losing too many youngsters in western Jamaica, and that is not good for Jamaica."

Since the start of the year, several children from across the region have fallen prey to the ongoing violence, which has been plaguing the three parishes, especially Westmoreland, which is the nation's new murder capital, with over 90 murders since the start of the year.

Among the students, who have been murdered are:

- January 9: Sixteen-year-old Cornwall College student Mark Williams was murdered by gunmen in Irwin, St James.

- February 16: Fourteen-year-old Tianna Clarke, a student of St James High School, was raped and murdered in Granville, St James.

- June 5: Nine-year-old Kadijah Chavealee Saunders, who attended the New Works Primary School in Westmoreland, was murdered by a 13-year-old student of the same school.

- August 25: Tamara Hoffenden, a 13-year-old Green Pond High School student, was shot and killed by a 19-year-old male, who was playing with an illegal firearm.

- July 25: Fifteen-year-old Jesse Spence, a student of Hopewell High School, was killed by gunmen in Malcolm Heights in Lucea, Hanover.

- September 17: Shamar Tomlinson, a 16-year-old student of Manning's School in Westmoreland, was shot and killed by gunmen at his home in Grange Hill, Westmoreland.

- September 2: Sixteen-year-old Jayshenel Gordon, a student of Herbert Morrison Technical School, was murdered in Rosemount, St James, by her stepfather.