A 12-year-old female student who used a knife to stab another student to death, June 18, 2015, was last week sentenced to 12 years imprisonment, at the Court’s pleasure, for murder.
But the student will continue her schooling while in prison. She is not being kept among the prison population at Her Majesty’s Prisons.
The accused, now 14, who was already being schooled while in custody on remand, had pleaded guilty to murder on November 30, this year, and a date was set for sentencing hearing.
Justice Kathy Ann Latchoo handed down the penalty at the sentencing hearing on December 13, during the High Court Criminal Assizes.
The girl’s guilty plea earned her a 1/3 discount on her sentence which would take it down to about eight years.
Justice Latchoo ordered that she receive periodic reviews and that she continue her schooling during incarceration.
The Ministry of Education is to provide the court with reports on the girl’s progress, at the periodic reviews, while the prison authorities will provide the court with reports on her conduct.
The order of the court is that she spend a minimum of six years behind bars.
A social inquiry report prepared by the Family Affairs Division, recommended professional counselling for an extended period.
The report had also stated that the accused expressed remorse for her action.
At the time of the offence, the accused student had just completed the CPEA to gain entry to a secondary school.
Acting Chief Education Officer Beverly Neptune told the Court that since the girl’s incarceration, she had completed her Form 1 schooling and is currently receiving second form level teaching.
Summary Extract Taken From The Vincentian Newspaper headline ( Student Jailed For Murder) Friday 23rd December 2016
