More Jamaican 12 and 13-year-olds Becoming Pregnant

As the rate of very young women impregnated by older, predatory men climbs, women’s advocate groups demand stronger laws for criminal abusers and rapists.

The Women’s Centre of Jamaica Foundation reports an average of 55 pregnant 12 and 13-year-olds per year. Even an 11-year-old pregnant girl was reported. Often, the young girls become pregnant before ever menstruating.

The main perpetrators of these rapes are males 20-23 years of age. Men of this age group only get a misdemeanor charge if they claim they believed the victim was over 16 at the time of the incident(s). In addition, the victims themselves are subjected to cross-examination in which their own sexual past, conduct and experiences, are also put on trial. As a result, the majority of girls are scared to even report abuse and rape so it is difficult to persecute rapists or to keep an accurate registry of offenders.

Chief executive officer of the Child Development Agency, Allison Anderson, says it is difficult to know how many cases are being reported because the children’s register has not been put in place. Under the Child Care and Protection Act, a children’s register and registry is to be established to lodge and keep information about offences against children.

Read the article: “Predators! More 12 and 13-yr-olds being impregnated and Jamaican women’s advocates want tougher laws” by Gareth Manning.