JDF distances itself from controversial youth camp

The Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) is distancing itself from a youth camp in Manchester where abuse allegations have been raised and is conducting internal investigations to determine if there was any unauthorised involvement by any of its servicemembers. 

Two boys, ages 12 and 13 years old, have come forward with horrific accounts of how they were shocked with tasers, trampled on by adults and beaten with plastic pipes at a popular annual camp aimed at curbing behavioural issues in so-called troubled children.

The boys, who are both students of Enid Bennett High School in St Catherine, claimed, too, that they witnessed soldiers, police officers and cadets inflicting similar abuse on other boys during the two-week camp, including one incident in which a student from another school suffered a broken wrist.

The residential camps are organised each year by the National Interschool Brigade (NIB), a non-governmental group, to stage intervention measures for high school students deemed to have behavioural problems.

Approximately 200 students from several high schools attended this year's staging held from July 15 to 29 at Holmwood Technical High School in Christiana, Manchester, at a cost of $8,500 per student, the NIB confirmed.

READ: Boot Camp Horror 

In a statement, the JDF denied any involvement with the camp.

“The JDF would like to categorically state that there is not now, nor has there ever been any known official association with this abovementioned camp or its organisers and is not aware of any direct involvement of any servicemember in this camp, its programme, or its delivery in any way.”

The JDF said it takes pride in its continued positive engagement with Jamaica's youth and distances itself from any activity that would bring harm to them. 

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