St. James Parish Court acquits all 16 Kahal Yahweh members after no-case ruling

All 16 members of the Kahal Yahweh religious group have been cleared in the St. James Parish Court after the judge found the prosecution had not put forward enough evidence for the case to move forward.

Senior Parish Court Judge Justice Grant Price on Thursday upheld a no-case submission from defence counsel Peter Champagnie KC and Samai Campbell. The ruling brought an end to proceedings that had centred on charges laid after a police operation at the group's Norwood compound in St. James in June 2023.

Investigators at the time had flagged concerns about child welfare and an allegation of indecent assault. The matter went to trial on 8 April 2024. After hearing the evidence, Justice Price determined that each of the 16 accused had no case to answer.

The decision marks the close of a case that drew attention in western Jamaica following the raid on the Kahal Yahweh site nearly two years earlier.