Tenesha Thomas, Staff ReporterA 14-YEAR-OLD girl who was abducted Wednesday night has been found alive, calming the worst fears of her family, following the brutal murder of another teenager who was abducted the same day.
According to police reports, Trudy-Ann Fung, a student of the Melrose Primary and Junior High School in St. Andrew, was found just after 10 o'clock yesterday morning in the Maxfield Avenue area by a resident of the community.
The girl and her parents yesterday received counselling from the police.
Meanwhile, the police in Westmoreland have held three suspects in connection with the murder of 15-year-old fourth form Petersfield High School student, Enid Gordon, whose body was found strangled and buried in a shallow grave, Thursday.
Enid was the third young girl to be abducted and murdered in Westmoreland in recent months.
On June 30, two children, nine-year-old Shaneka Shakes and her friend eight-year-old Shanna Kay Ledgister were found dead in cane fields near the Town Head Primary School in the parish.
Two of the suspects in the most recent killing, who reportedly turned themselves over to the police on Thursday, were still being questioned yesterday in connection with the incident.
According to the police, Enid was scheduled to appear in the Withorn Resident Magistrate's Court on October 18 as the complainant in a rape case.
She was reportedly raped by two men in her community on October 20 last year.
However, the police have indicated that there was no evidence to link her death to the pending court case.
Yesterday, Minister of National Security, Dr. Peter Phillips, visited the Melrose School where he announced that plans are now being implemented by the Government to strengthen the investigative capacities within the police force to curb the upsurge in violence against children.
Dr. Phillips said some of the lessons learnt by the police in the Operation Kingfish initiative would also be utilised to help solve these crimes.
He also urged the community to assist the police in protecting the island's children.
NEED FOR COMMUNITY ACTION
"There is need for tremendous community action, separate and apart from the police action. All of us need to be galvanised into action to deal with this problem," he said. "Every community where these atrocities occur someone knows, someone has protected information that should be given to the police."
The National Security Minister said parents must play a more active role in the lives of their children and liaise with teachers to determine their whereabouts.
Trudy-Ann had reportedly accompanied her cousin to purchase food items on Waltham Park Road on Wednesday when a car stopped beside them.
A man, whom residents claim to be well known in the community, allegedly pulled the girl into the vehicle and drove away.
