Trial begins for Qahal Yahweh members

The long-awaited trial of the members of the controversial Qahal Yahweh religious group, who are charged with several counts of breaching the Child Care and Protection Act and the Education Act, began today in the St James Parish Court with two prosecution witnesses testifying.

The court heard evidence from two officers from the Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA), who testified to participating in an operation at the Qahal Yahweh group's compound in Paradise, Norwood, St James on June 7, 2023.

During that operation, 23 children were removed from the premises and placed in state care.

The first witness told presiding judge Kaysha Grant-Pryce that she and other CPFSA members arrived at the premises after it was secured by members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) and Jamaica Defence Force (JDF).

The witness described seeing bunk beds, soiled clothes, buckets and basins of water, and damp ceilings with visible wires hanging from them inside the buildings on the compound, and that there was an odour of rotting food in the area.

She also testified that the children who were seen at the compound appeared to be malnourished and had an unusual aroma suggesting neglected personal hygiene.

During the evidence-in-chief, defence attorney King's Counsel Peter Champagnie objected several times to the prosecution's attempts to have the witness identify any of the 16 defendants currently on trial, on the grounds that identification of any defendant in the prisoner's dock would be dangerous if there was nothing to support the correctness of the identification.

Meanwhile, the second prosecution witness testified that she was given a birth certificate by Franchain Paris, one of the 16 defendants, which she subsequently photocopied.

The trial is slated to resume on June 6.

In addition to Franchain Paris, those on trial are Christopher Anderson, Nekeisha Harding, Derrick Clarke, Roanalee Maitland, Alicia Meadley, Fabian Nelson, Jodian Spence, Jose Foskin, Oral Spence, Raymon Letman, Ingrid Williams, Omar Johnson, Jevaughn Johnson, Vera Woolery, and Melisha Thompson.

All of them are represented by Champagnie.

Another defendant, Rebecca Gallimore, was given a probation order and the case against her dismissed on a previous court date.

The Qahal Yahweh group was previously placed in the spotlight in 2019, when the police removed six children, including a pregnant 16-year-old, from the compound of the group's church between October 31 and November 5 that year.

The Qahal Yahweh church was under investigation at that time in relation to allegations that the group was conducting child marriages, as well as being involved in human trafficking, abduction, child abuse and sexual assault.

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