Jamaican student charged with schoolmate’s murder

A murder charge has been laid against a 17-year-old Kingston Technical High School (KTHS) student who fatally stabbed her fellow schoolmate, Michigan Campbell during a fight last Thursday afternoon.

This followed a long period of questioning on Monday afternoon according to a police source.

Both teachers and students of the school are said to be traumatized following the incident which occurred on the school compound, prompting Education Minister Fayval Williams during a visit to the school on Monday to promise to design a program to help students de-escalate the conflict.

“The Ministry of Justice has a restorative justice program that can help our students understand how to de-escalate conflict situations when they arise, how to interact with each other peacefully, how to resolve disagreements, how to speak to each other, and how to work together rather than it resulting in fights and arguments.

“I don’t believe we have taught you enough about how to handle those situations in which you find yourselves. As an education ministry we are going to take it on to support Kingston Technical High School so that you can even go back home and help to teach your parents how to interact with each other so that when you come to school you are not feeling angry and upset and want to take it out on somebody,” the minister said.

She noted that even with metal detectors, the school was unable to prevent the accused student from having a ratchet knife in her possession on the compound.

Williams added that the ministry will be providing psycho-social help to students and even teachers who have been impacted.

“You are going to continue to ask the questions, you are going to sometimes, in the middle of the night, wake up and remember your schoolmate. Many of you were present when it happened and we need to give you special psycho-social support to help you deal with all the emotions you continue to feel,” Williams said.

Meanwhile, Natanish Roach whose son was fatally stabbed by another student at William Knibb Memorial High School on March 21 over a guard ring said this latest incident took her back to the worst day in her life.

Roach, despite not knowing Campbell’s parents, said she can imagine what they are going through.

“It is hard, and I feel their pain,” said the mother, adding, “God will take care of it all.”

While shaking her head she said that is it hard for any parent who sends their child to school to accept that he or she has been killed in a learning institution.