UPDATE: Mother allegedly denied access to previously missing child
According to the distraught mother, Ms. Jean Wharton Cato-Matthias, she was informed by a Juvenile Officer attached to the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force (RVIPF) yesterday afternoon, January 23, 2014, that her child was back on the shores of the Territory from around 3:15pm.
“That was the last I heard from them and am still awaiting a call to say that I can get to at least see my daughter but everyone is speaking to me in a mocking manner as if I am such an unfit mother but the truth is not told yet,” she said.
According to the woman, her worse nightmare began when she was informed that the child will remain in the custody of the state through the Social Development Department. “They are the criminals and I am prepared to speak out about what is going on there because the system has been failing me when I am to be turning to them for help and guidance, they are failing me,” cried the hurting woman.
“I am going to work today and I will be glued to my phone, it would be hard for me to focus but I have to maintain my job because it was more than ten years that I hadn’t a job and now have one, I cannot eat because the food not going down because I am grieving and hurting about all my children,” she added.
Ms Cato-Matthias has promised to keep this news site informed of the developments as they occur. Contact has since been made with the Public Relations Officer of the RVIPF Ms Dianne Drayton who is expected to respond in short order.
Contact with the Social Development Department could not be made up to post time.
See previous story posted January 23, 2014:
Mother says “Missing child” now found & in police custody
- Says she cares more about her child’s safety than negative bloggers
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI – “I am at work right now patiently waiting for them to call me to go and see my child,” said an obviously emotional, Ms. Jean Wharton Cato-Matthias after receiving word that her 12-year-old daughter Siriena Wharton has been found.
In a state of some level of relief this morning January 23, 2014, the mother told this news site in an exclusive interview, that sometime after 5:00 p.m. yesterday January 22, 2014, she had received a call from the Juvenile Department of the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force (RVIPF) informing her that little Siriena was found in St. Thomas.
The child she said, was kept in Police custody overnight and still remains there as she was told that the RVIPF are conducting some investigations. “I am relieved to an extent now that they found her and am just waiting to see her."
Public Relations Officer of the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force (RVIPF) Ms. Dianne Drayton has also confirmed that Ms. Wharton has been found in St. Thomas yesterday and will be returned to the Territory after investigations. She also took the opportuity to thank the public for their assistance in locating the child.
"The missing 12-year-old girl was located in St. Thomas late yesterday and is now in the safe custody of the Virgin Islands Police Department (VIPD) Juvenile Detention Centre. Both the VIPD and the VI Human and Social Services are presently conducting investigations before her return to the BVI. We are grateful for the public's assistance," Ms. Drayton told this news site.
Prior to receiving the news, Ms Cato-Matthias had poured out her heart about the challenges she has been facing with her daughter and her desperate desire for her to be found and reunited with her family.
“We all have our challenges in life, dealing with my daughter may be mine but everyone has their own and I can care less about what the man in the street and the bloggers are saying,” this was the painful expression of the mother.
On Monday, 13 January 2014, 12-year-old Siriena Wharton, who resides in Old Plantation, was reported missing. Police were informed then that she was last seen on Thursday, 12 December 2013. A missing person enquiry was started by the Major Crime Team which followed leads in the Territory and the USVI.
In an exclusive interview with Virgin Islands News Online, the mother, Ms. Jean Wharton Cato-Matthias of Old Plantation said that she is sick of all the bashing in the media about her situation as she feels the focus has been lost and alleged that her information was not put over accurately in some sections of the media.
She, however, admitted that over the years she has been struggling with her daughter’s alleged delinquent behaviour. “One thing I want to make clear is when my daughter went missing she was not in my care, she was not living with me then,” alleged the woman.
She recalled that the last time she had seen her child was on December 12, 2013 as they were to attend court for a hearing. It turned out that there was a mix-up in the date. “She has a curfew and she is not supposed to be on the road at a certain time.”
She recalled that on December 12, 2013 she had gone to the court from her place of work while the child had to go from home. “I saw my daughter and I called out to her and she refused to answer me. She just put her head straight and went her way.”
The woman said that the very day the child was picked up by Police officers who escorted her to her grandmother’s Greenland home. “I guess that she look to see when they were gone and she went her way. She was not with me, they had taken her to the grandmother, my child was taken from me.”
She said that the day that the missing report was made was when she was confronted by a female friend who told her that the child was seen entering a small boat bound for St. Thomas. “The woman told me she saw here and asked her what she was doing there and she said Siriena said I gave she her passport to go and get it renewed in St Thomas,” said Ms. Wharton Cato-Matthias.
The mother said that it was only yesterday that a member of the Juvenile Department and the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force (RVIPF) collected the child’s expired passport and other legal documents and hers as well.
Claims East End Police were negligent
Ms. Cato-Matthias said when she had confirmed that her daughter had indeed ran off, she went to the East End Police Station where she alleged they only took a verbal report did not make any documentation. “They didn’t take me seriously,” she further alleged.
She said that she was led to pen a complaint to a government Minister who she declined to name, however, it was then some action got on the way. “After I wrote the government, I suddenly see it in the media and everybody calling down my phone and all this attention but if I didn’t care I would have just sat back and let her go but I went as far as I could because I love my child no matter what people have to say.”
Call to Step Father
According to the mother, she was told that the child had made a call to her step-father and had reported that she was in St Thomas because her mother had taken her there and was to return for her. “But that’s not the truth and thank God I had two witnesses with me when the woman told me about seeing her heading to St Thomas on a small boat.”
She was not shy to say it was not the first time she has had issues with the child running, “We have issues but my child needs help, I need help in dealing with her, everybody just condemning me and not offering to help me in dealing with my child.”
The woman said that she has five children of which Siriena is number three. All her children were removed from her care. “They have my children all over and I am living alone, I am lonely without my children and I need them, I need help,” said the woman as she continued to stress that she loves her children and wants the best for them.
A release from the RVIPF yesterday had indicated that there had been an overwhelming response of support from the public interest in the quest to finding the missing 12 year old since it was made public.
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60 Responses to “UPDATE: Mother allegedly denied access to previously missing child”
Good ending?????
Confusing ending to me.
She is distraught now that she has gotten news that her child is alive and well.
but... where was her distraught when she didn't know where her daughter was for an entire month before she reported it???????
It seems like they are going through a very difficult time and need help on several different levels.
To the mother: .you are a good person. Because God said you are...God would not have given you his prized possession had he not known of your ability to mother.....now it is you turn to be a parent. Good luck and maybe there is someone that your child approve of as a go between....I ask the a resturant offer this mother and daughter a lunch date at least once a month. Bonding is needed.....
with family; there was no communication from the child to the mother; there was no communication with the
family member(s) to the mother or from the mother to the family member(s) about how the child was
doing...etc. It doesnt even seem like even though the child was staying elsewhere that the mother attempted to look for her in person to carry a gift or to at least give a hug and say Merry Christmas (I stand to be corrected if I'm wrong)....... but breakdown in so many areas. My prayer is for whatever is going on to be
revealed (not necessarily to the public), but that truth be spoken from the little girl, the mother, family
members and all involved to the Social Workers, Psycologists...and most importantly to God, so that the
process of healing can begin.
can begin.
Darkness does not like light.
She went to people on a one to one basis who could have helped her. Did she get help? Would you like if you were down on the ground for someone to kick you? Have you ever thought that this was her only alternative? Why not personally pray for her or call on all members of this BVI community to pray for her?
If I and others could only get your number to encourage you at this time. Please send to news site. Don't return evil for evil. Jehovah says vengeance is His and He says to keep conquering the evil with the good. So when people do you evil, just smile and return good to them!!
t she was missing in the first place?