Child advocate urges stronger monitoring after Shani Coke death in Trelawny

The death of Shani Coke in Troy, Trelawny, has sharpened concern over how Jamaica protects its children, Hear the Children's Cry spokesperson and senior attorney-at-law Priscilla Tufton said in a television interview.

Tufton offered condolences to Coke's family and the wider community, describing the loss of the child as deeply saddening and a call to act rather than only mourn. Child safety, she argued, is not solely a government duty but a responsibility of every Jamaican citizen toward the society's most vulnerable.

She pointed to reports that residents had raised concerns about the matter on several occasions before Coke's death, yet no effective response followed. Tufton said limited Jamaica Constabulary Force resources may have slowed any reaction, while also suggesting the community itself could have done more earlier. Stakeholders and advocates, she added, must keep pressing for stronger safeguards.

The discussion turned to a man described as a convicted sex offender, with prior arrests for burglary in 2014, sexual touching in 2017 and another burglary in 2019. He reportedly served five years and was released in 2025. Both the interviewer and Tufton stressed that guilt in Coke's case has not been established and that a person remains innocent until proven guilty.

Even so, Tufton said a record of convictions and charges should prompt police to pay close attention, especially where neighbours had already lodged suspicions. Officers would not be expected to detain anyone without evidence, she said, but they ought to keep a careful watch on such a person's movements when the community has flagged a possible threat.

On Jamaica's sex-offender registry, Tufton said talks continue over whether details should be made public. She supported greater public awareness for children's and community safety, while noting the need to balance that interest against offenders' privacy and prospects for reform after they have served their sentences. She also warned that, given local patterns of people taking matters into their own hands, any public listing must be weighed carefully.

Beyond publication, she argued monitoring itself may be inadequate to prevent repeat offences. Where residents fear an offender living among them, she said the way forward is open discussion with government and other decision-makers on how to hold offenders accountable and stop further harm.