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‘Hang those who kill the possible Reggae Girl’
June 15, 2023
President of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF), Michael Ricketts, has thrown his voice behind the call for capital punishment for child killers following the latest incident in which eight-year-old Danielle Rowe was killed.
Ricketts contends that the former Braeton Primary School student could have been a possible Reggae Girl in the making and that criminals who commit these gruesome acts against the nation's children need to suffer the full brunt of the law.
"This little eight-year-old girl was brutally murdered, and when I heard, I think about our Reggae Girlz. This poor little girl could have been another Rebecca (Spencer) or Deneisha (Blackwood)," Ricketts said.
"I am adding my call that these murderers who commit these heinous crimes and are walking around with their 'spliff' and 'special' - because it means nothing to them - get the full punishment.
"That little girl could have been another Reggae Girl. She could have been one of those who could make her country proud," he commented during a sponsorship handover by Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) at the JFF office yesterday.
Rowe was abducted and her throat cut last Thursday with her nearly lifeless body rushed to the Bustamante Hospital for Children, where she died last Saturday.
Meanwhile, Ricketts noted the KFC sponsorship signalled an important stage of the JFF and specifically women's football. He said the work of the Reggae Girlz has largely gone unrecognised and that this was their way of recognising the contribution.
"These girls have qualified this small nation with small resources for the biggest event, so with the struggles these girls would have gone through, the sacrifice, loyalty and commitment, I must recognise KFC for coming on board to partner with the JFF to ensure we improve the quality of lives for all these girls. They constantly make us all very proud, and we just need to show more appreciation for our young Reggae Girlz," he said.
KFC brand manager, Andre Roper, said giving back is a big part of KFC's social responsibility, and they wanted to show their appreciation to the Girlz for their continued success.
"For us at Restaurants of Jamaica, this is just a small way for us to help make this journey to the Women's World Cup for the Girlz much easier. It has been a challenge, a tough road, and we want to say we appreciate you. We truly recognise all the efforts," Roper said.
The sponsorship is $7 million, $6 million in cash and $1 million in KFC products. The Reggae Girlz are scheduled to compete in the FIFA Women's World Cup for a second straight tournament, which takes place in Australia and New Zealand from July 20-August 20.
