Advocacy group presses for public access to Jamaica’s sex offender registry after Trelawny child killing

The Fi We Children Foundation has added its voice to demands that Jamaica’s sex offenders registry be opened to the public, after the rape and murder of 10-year-old Shani Coke in Trelawny.

Residents killed the accused, Delroy Coke. It is alleged that he had previously carried out sexual assaults and had only lately left prison.

In a statement, the foundation argued that public access to the registry would let parents, guardians, schools, child care institutions and communities recognise convicted sexual offenders who live nearby and act to keep children safe.

According to the foundation, Coke’s death highlights how urgently Jamaica must reinforce its child protection framework through new legislation and policy. It wants a full review of the Child Care and Protection Act so the law more effectively shields children from sexual abuse and exploitation.

The group is also pushing for firmer prevention and early-intervention steps that flag children who are vulnerable, plus greater funding for child protection work — covering investigations, support for victims, and community programmes aimed at stopping harm before it occurs.

While Jamaica has passed significant child protection statutes and policies, the foundation said putting them into practice continues to prove difficult, and help too often arrives only once a child has already been permanently damaged.

Rejecting mob violence, the foundation insisted that those responsible must answer under the rule of law, so justice is done without undermining criminal investigations.

It further called on journalists to weigh the ethics of releasing pictures of child victims, stressing that coverage should uphold children’s dignity and spare bereaved families additional pain.