Domestic Violence Behind One-Third of St Catherine South Murders in 2025
Nearly a third of St Catherine South's 29 murders this year are linked to domestic violence, police say, after a woman was chased and stabbed to death in Old Harbour.
Stabbing of Female Security Guard Highlights Domestic Violence Crisis in St Catherine
Nearly one in three murders recorded by the St Catherine South Police this year are linked to domestic violence or interpersonal conflicts, the division's commanding officer has disclosed, according to jamaica-gleaner.com.
Of the 29 murders logged since January 1, nine stemmed from domestic violence-related incidents or interpersonal conflicts — a pattern Senior Superintendent Leighton Grey described as a clear cause for concern.
"We do have a concern and we have expressed that in a general way," Grey told The Gleaner.
The most recent case occurred over the weekend in Old Harbour, St Catherine. Patricia Dennis, 39, of Hawk Lane in Bullet Tree district, left her home to avoid an argument with a man said to be her ex-boyfriend and was chased and stabbed to death.
Investigators received reports that Dennis and the suspected attacker had previously been in a romantic relationship, which ended due to frequent arguments between the two, according to residents. Grey confirmed the incident is being treated as domestic violence-related.
Reports indicate Dennis returned home from a wake around 1:30 a.m. Saturday when the suspect arrived and attempted to enter her house. An argument followed, and she left to seek refuge at the home of the suspect's mother. He allegedly pursued her there and stabbed her multiple times to the neck, abdomen, and upper body. A manhunt for the 35-year-old suspect was still under way as of late Sunday.
Grey said the St Catherine South Police, working alongside other stakeholders, have taken steps to engage with residents on how to resolve disputes peacefully.
"We are open to ensuring that we facilitate all of those concerns and we implore persons to maybe visit the police station or come to the police whenever they have these challenges or when they realise it is getting serious," he said.
The situation in St Catherine South mirrors concerns raised by commanders in other divisions. Senior Superintendent Eron Samuels, head of the St James police, revealed last week that more than half of the 50 murders recorded in the parish since January 1 are "interpersonal or domestic in nature."
Among those killings was the shooting of Cora Thompson at the entrance to the Montego Bay New Testament Church of God on Water Lane in April — a murder Samuels said was rooted in a property dispute.
"If we want to bring St James to the situation where we have way less than 50, even 20, 30 murders max for the year, we have to deal with our interpersonal conflicts," Samuels said.
Police commanders in St Andrew South have expressed similar concerns about the share of murders tied to domestic or interpersonal disputes.
Source: Google News JM — Crime