ST. ELIZABETH, Jamaica — Fourteen-year-old Kenalya “Kay Kay” Burton and her 10-month-old daughter Keira Burton, who were reported missing earlier last week, have been safely located.
According to Superintendent Coleridge Minto, head of the St. Elizabeth Police Division, the young mother and her baby were found in Mandeville on Monday. Reports indicate that they were in the company of two other 14-year-old girls, who had also been reported missing from the parish of Manchester.
After their discovery, Burton and her daughter were handed over to the Santa Cruz Police, then released into the care of her guardians. The teen was expected to appear before the St. Elizabeth Court on Tuesday, October 14, 2025.
While the circumstances surrounding their disappearance are still unclear, both mother and child are confirmed safe.
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Commentary: Why Isn’t This the Headline Jamaica Is Talking About?
Yes, we can all breathe a sigh of relief that Kenalya and baby Keira were found. But the real story here runs much deeper — and much darker.
Kenalya is just 14 years old. Her baby is 10 months old. That means she was 12 or 13 when she became pregnant — far below Jamaica’s age of consent (16).
So why isn’t that the headline? Why isn’t the country in uproar over the fact that a child was sexually exploited and became a mother before even reaching high school age?
Let’s be real and ask the questions we keep avoiding:
Why isn’t there a criminal investigation into who got this child pregnant?
Why wasn’t her pregnancy reported or investigated when it happened?
Why do we only pay attention when these girls go missing — and not before?
Why is this kind of situation so normalized in our communities?
This isn’t just a story about one girl. It’s a mirror reflecting a systemic moral and social breakdown.
Is it a lack of morality? A lack of opportunity? Or simply a lack of care for our young people — especially the ones from struggling backgrounds who are easy to overlook?
Whatever the cause, our silence speaks volumes. Until Jamaica confronts these uncomfortable truths — until we stop treating child pregnancy as “just another story” — we will continue to fail the very children we are supposed to protect.
Written by: [ Christopher Whilby]
Published by: Karibbean Vibez Radio Network (KVRN)
Tags: #JamaicaNews #TeenPregnancy #ChildProtection #KVRN #SocialJustice #JamaicanYouth #CommunityAwareness
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