Bjorn Burke, Staff Reporter

After 11 years, a victim of child molestation has now mustered up the courage to speak out about her traumatic experience as she continues to struggle with recovery.

In an interview with THE STAR, 23-year-old Stacie Adamsrecounted the harrowing occurrence of being sexually abused by a man, whom she looked up to as a father.

Adams explained that the alleged molester was cousin to her birth mother, making the alleged offender her second cousin. It is said that he was born in Jamaica, but gained Canadian citizenship. As a result of his status as a Canadian citizen, it was agreed upon that though he was not Stacie's biological father, he would be listed as such on her birth certificate to make the process of filing for her easier.

Seemingly fraught

However on one fateful night in March 2003, Stacie's caregiver in whom she trusted, entered her bedroom and launched an attack on the then minor.

"I was lying down in the bed watching TV, the time was kind of dark. He fingered me and he touched my breast," Stacie recalled, seemingly fraught with the memory of the event.

Stacie's stepmother, Fiona Jarrett, was at home the night the incident occurred and caught her then boyfriend in the act.

"So I was in my bedroom and I was like, where him deh? Weh him a do over the room so long. So me get up now, and push the room door and go right in there, and me see him fly off a di bed. And when him a pass me now me realise seh him have a hard-on, so mi say wait, so how him face look so blushy, and weh him a do with this big hard-on a come off a bed beside Stacie," she said.

She continued; "So me say no man, something nuh right. So when me turn behind him now, him bolt go right inna the bathroom and a wash him hand. So mi seh what were you doing in Stacie dem room? Him say nothing, him just did a watch TV. So mi say Stacie, what just happened in here. And then she started to tell me. Then him come now and him say Stacie, me touch yu? And then she say yes, yes, you touch me!"

Jarrett told THE STAR that he went running to a bathroom inside the home thereafter, locking himself in. It was later discovered that he had allegedly taken an assortment of pills in attempts to commit suicide.

Subsequently, he was said to have been rushed to the Andrews Memorial Hospital and later transferred to the University Hospital of the West Indies via ambulance.

The incident was reported to the police on the morning after the episode, however it remains unclear as to why a formal report was not successfully filed.

"A report was made to the Duhaney Park Police Station in 2003, but the officer never made any writing," Jarrett said.

Stacie's concerned stepmother is in solidarity with her, stating that it is time for her stepchild's abuser to be brought to justice.

"She is old now, and she says that him must go prison for it, because she's not over it and it still bothers her," said a seemingly emotional Jarrett. "She wants it out there because of the type of person he is, because she says she feels it's not the first him do it, and he's doing it again. He's a pervert, him have an issue!"

Disturbs me

As for Stacie, she says by sharing her story she believes that her courage will assist her in overcoming the dark cloud that has been cast on her life.

"Sometimes I just, you know like when you remember things and it just click to your head, it kind of disturbs me most of the time, but me a try block it out yu nuh? Sometimes I try not to think about it, but right now I just want to try and get over it," she said.

Receiving advice from the Centre For Investigation Of Sexual Offences & Child Abuse (CISOCA), Jarrett said she was informed that there is no statute of limitations on sexual offences of this nature. This information served as an added incentive, encouraging Stacie to pursue the matter against her alleged molester.

If you or someone you know has been a victim of child molestation, call CISOCA at (876) 926-4079, Police Control at 119 or the nearest Police Station.

Names changed