(Jamaica Gleaner) – At least one, and maybe more, of the young girls reported missing under the Ananda Alert system are in St Catherine, working as prostitutes on the Port Henderson strip, better known as ‘Back Road’.
Up to September this year, 1,206 children had been reported missing, with 676 confirmed as returning home, three killed, and more than 500 still unaccounted for.
However, The Gleaner has confirmed that, of those un-accounted for, at least one is selling her body on Back Road, and business operators and other prostitutes in the area believe she is periodically joined by friends of the same age.
“We see her over here and we lick out pon her, so she have to leave,” one of the prostitutes told The Gleaner yesterday, as she lounged outside a premises on Port Henderson Road.
“She gone and live in a community in west Kingston,” the prostitute added, in reference to the 15-year-old the police reported missing with an Ananda Alert more than three months ago.
However, a business operator in the area said the girl, whose name is being withheld, still visits the strip to “conduct business”.
“Since the police start dem crackdown on the strip, she not here so much, but she still comes on Friday and Saturday night,” the business operator said.
“She live with one of the prostitute dem in Denham Town and we see her picture pon TV,” added the business operator.
She was supported by another business operator, who said the teenage girls, more and more, were becoming a feature of the strip, which is known for its seafood and guest houses, as much as for the prostitutes who frequent the area.
“Sometimes, when I see the young girls dem and what dem doing to their bodies, me stomach sick,” the business owner said.
More than 200 prostitutes offering several sexual favours are said to frequent Port Henderson Road.
