Judge orders juveniles to attend church

A senior parish judge has ordered two juveniles to attend church every two weeks as part of their bail conditions.

The order was made by Senior Parish Judge Lori-Anne Cole-Montaque at the request of the boys' parents, who were present in the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court last week.

"If you go to church and focus on what you need to focus on, it nuh hurt nobody. Go and participate in the singing and worship during divine hour, and make sure you bring your offering," the senior jurist warned, before adding that the teens are expected to be monitored by an official at the church, who is to provide a report for the court.

The teens, age 14, are charged with robbery with aggravation and conspiracy to commit robbery with aggravation. They are charged along with 19-year-old Jermaine Francis, who was also charged with assault with intent to rob.

The allegations are that on April 21, the two complainants were walking along Park Plaza when four men, one of whom was armed with a black-handle knife, approached them and demanded their personal items. The knife wielder robbed one of the complainants, while the other men robbed the other complainant of his cell phone. Francis and the teens were apprehended the same day, while the other perpetrator escaped.

When the matter was last before the court on June 5, a bail application was made. However, Judge Cole-Montaque requested community reports for each accused. According to the report for one of the teens, his neighbours said that he should relocate, and said he was not being supervised sufficiently by his guardian nor attending school. His grandmother assured the judge that he would reside with her and she would make efforts to enrol him at another secondary school.

The juvenile shared that he was attending classes at the Metcalfe Juvenile Correctional Facility, where he was housed, but had difficulties adjusting.

The teens were offered $150,000 bail with a surety. They were subjected to a daily curfew and were ordered to attend church on Saturdays or Sundays with their guardians.

Francis was not given a bail offer and was remanded in custody.