A STATE of fear has gripped young professionals-in-training at the two major universities of the Corporate Area in light of the recent attacks on the island's women and children.

Roger Bent, guild president at the University of the West Indies, Mona, told The Gleaner yesterday that the spate of abductions and rapes of tertiary students has forced students from neighbouring islands to consider moving back home.

Measures for safety

The guild president said that just weeks before examinations, students are meeting to formulate security measures to mitigate the risk of abduction and rape.

"There is a sense of anger and fear on campus. There is mistrust," he said.

Similar unease exists among women at the University of Technology (UTech) in Papine, said Garry McLean, Students' Union president.

McLean has also heard the gripping stories of abductions. He said that, last week, two women were almost abducted by criminals in Lawrence Tavern, St Andrew.

"There is frustration and fear coming from students," he said.

McLean said the students, particularly the women, were emotionally affected as they worry who will be the next victim.

Since Friday, there have been nightly patrols by security personnel at UTech, he added.

A group of students has also issued a telephone number among themselves, referred to as a panic number, which they call if anyone feels threatened.

For the last several weeks, the St Andrew Central police have tried to capture criminals who have been abducting women and schoolchildren in the Half-Way Tree area.

Coordinated approach

Just Saturday, two men and a woman were abducted in Mona - a community in which many tertiary students board.

Subsequent to this incident, that same day, it was reported that gunmen tried to abduct three students from one of the universities.

Warren Newby, parliamentary secretary in the Ministry of Information, Culture, Youth and Sports, said such criminals acts against youth should not put a damper on National Youth Month celebrations in November.

"It is, part of it, to drive fear," said Newby.

He, however, reasoned that the frequency of the attacks, and how widespread they are, could suggest that it was a coordinated approach by the perpetrators.

shelly-ann thompson@gleanerjm.com