Mother avoids jail after underage daughter gets pregnant

A 34-year-old mother of five was ordered to receive parental counselling while on probation for the next 18 months, after she confessed to not informing the authorities that her underage daughter was pregnant.

The woman, who is also pregnant, appeared in the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court yesterday, where she pleaded guilty to failing to report to the Office of the Children's Registry.

Senior counsel Vincent Wellesley informed the court that the defendant was afraid to report the matter, as she did not want to be judged by others.

"She says Your Honour, she panicked. She was afraid of reporting it because of that situation where she might have been judged, and being responsible, she might have been charged. It was discovered Your Honour, by the authorities that the minor was with child and so, subsequent to that, a formal report was made in March by the accused," Wellesley explained to the court. He said that the woman said she was not aware that her daughter was sexually active and that had she been more vigilant, she would have noticed certain things. The man who is accused of impregnating the girl will face the Home Circuit Court on March 30.

"She apologises Your Honour, and she is asking the court to be as lenient as the court possible can. She is on bended knees," the lawyer pleaded. The judge said she would not make an order for the woman to be imprisoned or to pay a fine for breaching the Child Care and Protection Act.

"This child would need her mother, so I have no intention of separating the child from her mother. What I will also say is that the child's child would need her grandmother. It's quite a bit of pressure that would be placed on you because clearly your daughter was not equipped, was not in a position to be a mother. Be that as it may, sometimes life hands us lemons, we make the best lemonade that we can and that is what you are called upon to do now," the judge said.

He added that the defendant may have to seek assistance from friends or family members to support her daughter.