CDA offers counseling to teen mother *Agency not interested in removing baby from home

The Child Development Agency (CDA) say they are not interested, at this moment, in removing a baby from a teen mother who alleged that her baby had been stolen at the Victoria Jubilee Hospital in Kingston after giving birth to twins.

Information reaching our news team is that the agency, which says it is getting facts together concerning the teen and certain allegations made, is more concerned about the teen in question and would like to offer counselling at this time.

Rochelle Dixon, Public Relations Officer at CDA told THE STAR that the agency has officers who are attached to Centre for the Investigation of Sexual offences and Child Abuse (CISOCA) and, therefore, would have knowledge surrounding the ongoing investigation.

According to the CDA, they were aware of some allegations regarding the age of the father of the baby and the circumstances surrounding the mother in question, so their approach is more to offer counselling and support where necessary.

The CDA said they are looking into all allegations before a final move can be determined.

Social media has been abuzz following THE WEEKEND STAR story published on February 5 and a subsequent video posted by the alleged sister of the father.

In the video that has gone viral the woman alleges that CISOCA and other members of the police force swooped down on their home to take away the 'other' baby from the mother, claiming that papers were also given for her to sign.

However, further investigation by our news team revealed that it was members of CISOCA who went to the home of the mother, but not with intentions of taking away the child.

The investigating officer, Constable Mitchell, told THE WEEKEND STAR yesterday that they went to the house for the mother to sign to a statement that she had given earlier for it to become official.

According to Mitchell, they are yet to get a statement from the alleged father who is said to be a teen, and it is important that he provides a statement.

The head of CISOCA, Superintendent Enid Ross, also sought to shed some light on the issue.

"CISOCA doesn't take children, perhaps they would have gone to the house. If the girl and the father is 15/16 years old and they have a relationship, that is in their mind, they are a legitimate couple then we would not prosecute them. We would ask the DPP to make a determination whether or not the young man is to be charged," Ross told THE WEEKEND STAR.