A 23-year-old former police officer, Jean-Luc Langlais, appeared in Court on Thursday charged with murder of 16-year-old Jerbiah Paul, whose decomposing body was discovered in a precipice in Capuchin, north of here on Wednesday.
Her body had been discovered by members of the Barbados-based Regional Security System (RSS).
Jean Luc-Rudy Langlais, who has since been dismissed from the Dominica Police Force (DPF), has been remanded to the State Prison pending further court proceedings.
The charge follows an intensive investigation into Paul’s disappearance after she was reported missing on July 24. Police initially withheld confirmation of the victim’s identity because the remains were severely decomposed.
In a media statement on Wednesday, Police Public Relations Officer Acting Assistant Superintendent Fixton Henderson said ‘the remains appeared to be a severely decomposed body of an apparent female wearing a blue top and is unrecognizable and that DNA testing will have to be done to confirm the identity.’
Meanwhile, Dr. Cassandra Williams, Minister of State with Responsibility for Social Services, in a statement said that ‘for almost three weeks, Jerbiah’s disappearance has weighed heavily on our nation.’
She said as Minister of State with special responsibility for Seniors Security; Children at Risk; Gender Affairs; and Persons with Disabilities, she is ‘also compelled to speak to the wider concern that this tragedy has once again brought sharply into focus: the safety and protection of our girls and young women.
‘Sexual abuse, sexual exploitation and violence against girls and women must never be normalized, excused, concealed or met with silence. No child should have to live in fear of an adult who should be protecting her. No young girl should be groomed, exploited or abused by someone who takes advantage of her age, vulnerability, trust or circumstances. And no family should have to endure the anguish of wondering whether more could have been done to protect their child.
‘We must reject the dangerous attitudes that place responsibility on girls for the behaviour of adults. A child cannot be blamed for being exploited,’ she said, adding ‘adults have a responsibility to protect children, not prey upon their vulnerability.
‘This responsibility belongs to all of us. Parents and guardians must remain engaged in the lives of their children and pay attention when behaviour, relationships or circumstances suddenly change. Communities must not look the other way when there are warning signs of abuse or exploitation.’
‘…to Jerbiah’s family, I extend, on behalf of the Government and people whom I serve, our deepest compassion during this period of unimaginable grief and pain. May god strengthen you and may you find strength in the support of your family, your community and a nation that has stood with you throughout this painful search.’