Teen moved from home after abuse by mother

With only a few days before his 18th birthday, John Black* is speaking out about a life filled with abuse by his mother.

Black, who said he got the courage to speak because of the recent news about Dalton Harris' relationship with his mother, stated that there are days he wanted to retaliate but refrained.

"Mi know seh a betta she want fi me but Jah know, sometimes she overdo it. Mi use to get beating to the point where mi couldn't sit down, and even though a couple of years since it was so bad, she still put on one and two lick pan me," he said.

He said that while he is grateful for what his mother has done for him, there comes a time when parents should know when it is enough.

The cries to cease and desist from his siblings have also fallen on deaf ears.

"About three weeks ago, him go home late and she would kill him wid lick, and him call me. When me go up there, him walk round the yaad and she a use a broomstick and a lick him, and when me talk to her she a cuss me out and seh a no my pickney. Mi just tek him from her and keep him a mi yaad," said Black's sister, Jane*.

Even though her spouse is not pleased, Jane said she has to protect her younger brother and mother before they harm each other.

"Mi understand that she don't want him to be a statistic, but him soon 18. Boy pickney stop get lick from 10, and some even before that. What we a try tell her is that if him did wah bad, there is nothing she could do, so she must stop beat him," she said.

Black told THE WEEKEND STAR that his mother is worrying needlessly, because he is doing well in school and he does not linger on the road.

"A so she used to beat up pan we; because me older brother leave the house when him did about 13 and go up a him fada and never come back. She have three a wi and him (Black) a the last one, and me nah tell no lie, him patient bad, because me leave when mi a 15 go a my daddy," said Jane.

Black said there is too much abuse going on and not everyone has the ability to deal with it.

He said that since living with his sister, he has been having peaceful nights and he does not want to give that up.

THE WEEKEND STAR contacted Black's mother, but she declined to comment.

* Names changed