Absence of Qahal Yahweh defendant stalls ongoing trial
Published:Wednesday | June 12, 2024 | 12:06 AMChristopher Thomas/Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
The trial of 16 members of the Qahal Yahweh religious group, who are charged with several counts of breaching the Child Care and Protection Act and the Education Act, has been put off for continuation to July 26 due to one defendant’s absence from court.
The defendants – Omar Thompson, Christopher Anderson, Nekeisha Harding, Derrick Clarke, Roanalee Maitland, Alicia Meadley, Fabian Nelson, Franchain Paris, Jodian Spence, Jose Foskin, Oral Spence, Rayon Letman, Ingrid Williams, Jevaughn Johnson, Vera Woolery, and Melisha Thompson – were slated to continue their trial in the St James Parish Court on Thursday, following their last trial date on April 8.
However, when the matter was called up on Thursday, it was disclosed that Omar Thompson had not been transported from the St Catherine Adult Correctional Centre, where he is currently being held in custody, in order to attend the court sitting. It was not stated why he is in custody.
Additionally, presiding Parish Judge Kaysha Grant-Pryce was told that King’s Counsel Peter Champagnie, the lawyer representing the group, was absent from court.
As a result, Grant-Pryce set July 26 as the next date for the trial’s continuation and extended the bails of the 15 remaining defendants until that time.
Additionally, a writ is to be issued for Thompson to appear in court on that date.
ALLEGED CHILD ABUSE
The 16 defendants were brought to court and placed on trial, beginning on April 8 this year, in relation to an operation carried out by the police at the Qahal Yahweh group’s Paradise Avenue compound in Montego Bay on June 30, 2023. That operation was carried out following reports of alleged child abuse and assaults at the facility.
The trial’s start was previously rescheduled from March 11, as one of the female defendants was absent on that date due to having given birth sometime prior.
Since the start of the trial on April 8, two witnesses from the Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA) have testified for the prosecution so far.
Prior to the June 30, 2023 police operation, 23 children were removed from the compound on June 7, 2023 by the CPFSA.
The children, ages one to 17 years at the time, were subsequently placed in state care.
In January of this year, Omar Johnson, Jevaughn Johnson, Vera Woolery and Melisha Thompson were arrested and charged, joining the other 13 defendants who had previously been charged and brought before the court.
UNDER INVESTIGATION
Neil Spence, a defendant who voluntarily turned himself in to the police in relation to the Qahal Yahweh incident, was brought before the St James Parish Court separately from the original 13 defendants on July 19, 2023. At that time, Spence, who was represented by attorney Adrian Dayes, pleaded guilty to the charge of assault and is now serving a non-custodial sentence.
Rebecca Gallimore, another defendant who was initially charged along with the 16 persons currently before the court, was later given a probation order and the case against her dismissed sometime prior to the start of the trial on April 8.
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.