Six days that felt like a year
over 3 years in Jamaica Observer
MAY PEN, Clarendon - It had only been six days but it was like they had been separated for a year. That's how a relieved Howard Hayles describes his daughter's reaction when she was reunited with her family Thursday morning.The 15-year-old girl was reportedly abducted on her way home from school on March 11.Shortly before 7:00 am on Thursday Hayles got a call that his daughter's abductor had left her at the gate to her school."When mi get di call mi just call mi boss and tell him say mi can't come today 'cause dem find mi daughter. When mi go a station she was there with the teachers who took her there. When she saw us this morning she run and hug we up and bawl like she miss wi fi one year," he said of the moment they were reunited.Hayles said his child has special needs and that makes communication difficult at times.She has given a statement to the police but has been unable to say where she had been taken or had been held for six days that had been agonisingly long for her friends and relatives."Mi go see her at the police station with the teachers. While there the police question her and they made some checks to see if she can tell where he had her, but she can't find her way. She don't know where she was," said her father."The vehicle that took her drove around the area, blindfold her, and then disappear with her so she cannot tell where him carry her go because him confuse her before him bring her away. Is the same man bring her back this morning and leave her at the school," he added.The young girl said her abductor gave her chicken and chips to eat.On Thursday she underwent a medical exam and counselling is being arranged."She is not showing any cuts or bruises that would indicate that she was tied up or restrained in any way. She said she was scared and cried, but after we take her to the doctor we will arrange counselling for her," said Hayles.He is happy his child is alive."All the stress and sleepless nights weh mi did have kinda ease up off mi ya now. Mi can sleep now. Mi glad say mi get the call this morning; my heart is relieved, the whole family is relieved because a could her body come back. God a God enuh," said an emotional Hayles.The teenager went missing some time after 3:30 pm on March 11 while on her way home. She was last seen on Lampard Road and efforts to find her proved futile, pushing her mother to alert the police that same day, and her father to take the story to the media on Tuesday.While not speaking specifically to this case, Deputy superintendent of police in charge of Clarendon's Community Safety and Security Branch, Owen Brown said their next steps would be guided by the medical report.