December 15 mention date for 13 Qahal Yahweh members
Published:Monday | November 13, 2023 | 12:08 AMChristopher Thomas/Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
The 13 members of the Qahal Yahweh religious group who were arrested following a police raid at their Montego Bay compound on June 30 this year may be slapped with more charges when they next appear in the St James Parish Court on December 15.
The 13 defendants – Rebecca Gallimore, Christopher Anderson, Nekeisha Harding, Derrick Clarke, Roanalee Maitland, Alicia Meadley, Fabian Nelson, Franchain Paris, Jodian Spence, Jose Foskin, Oral Spence, Rayon Letman, and Ingrid Williams – got the new court date and had their bails extended when they appeared before presiding judge Sasha-Marie Ashley last Friday.
During the latest court proceedings, the prosecution indicated that additional charges are to be placed on its case file in relation to the defendants. It was also disclosed that several statements are still outstanding from the file.
Ashley subsequently set the matter for continuation on December 15 and extended the defendants’ bails to that date.
The defendants, who are all represented by King’s Counsel Peter Champagnie, first appeared in court on July 19, where they all pleaded not guilty in relation to breaches of the Child Care and Protection Act.
During that first mention date, it was disclosed that additional related matters were expected to be brought before the court at a later date.
On June 30, twenty members of the Qahal Yahweh religious group were detained by the police in a joint special operation of the security forces at their Paradise Avenue compound in Montego Bay. The raid was conducted in response to reports of assault and child abuse taking place at the compound.
Prior to the police operation, 23 children were removed from the compound on June 7 by the Child Protection and Family Services Agency. The children, ages one to 17 years, were subsequently placed in state care.
Neil Spence, a defendant who voluntarily turned himself in to the police in relation to the Qahal Yahweh incident, was brought before the St James Parish Court separately from the 13 other defendants on July 19, at which time he pleaded guilty to the charge of assault.
Spence, who was represented by attorney Adrian Dayes, is currently serving a non-custodial sentence in relation to the assault charge. His sentencing hearing had been rescheduled to at least three different dates - August 4, September 15, and September 25.
The Qahal Yahweh group was previously placed in the spotlight in 2019 when the police removed six children, including a pregnant 16-year-old, from the compound of the group’s church between October 31 and November 5 that year. The Qahal Yahweh church was under investigation at that time in relation to allegations that the group was conducting child marriages as well as being involved in human trafficking, abduction, child abuse, and sexual assault.