PORTLAND, Jamaica — A shocking child tragedy has rocked the rural parish of Portland, after a body believed to be that of missing 12-year-old Christal McLean was recovered earlier this week from the Grants Level stretch of the Rio Grande. Isat Buchanan, the Member of Parliament for Portland Eastern, has spoken out this week, expressing a mixture of deep grief and furious outrage over the circumstances of the minor’s death, while pushing law enforcement to move quickly to solve the case. In an official public statement released Friday, Buchanan called on Portland’s police force to accelerate their investigation into what he labeled an unconscionable, horrific act of violence.
“Every resource at the disposal of law enforcement must be deployed to unearth the full truth of what happened, track down every person responsible for this crime, and deliver justice both quickly and fairly,” Buchanan stated. “The residents of Portland have a right to clear answers. Most of all, Christal deserves to have justice done on her behalf.”
McLean, a 12-year-old resident of Portland’s Berrydale community, was first reported missing to authorities on Friday, June 12. Four days later, on Wednesday, searchers located a body in an advanced state of decomposition in the Rio Grande, which forensic officials have provisionally identified as the missing child.
Beyond pushing for a swift investigation, Buchanan used the tragedy to issue a urgent call to action across Jamaica, urging the public not to grow desensitized to the rising tide of violent crimes targeting children. He emphasized that the senseless death of the 12-year-old must force every segment of Jamaican society to confront its shared responsibility to keep minors safe.
“This tragedy must compel us to reflect on our collective responsibility to protect our children. Parents, educators, churches, community leaders, law enforcement, and elected officials all have a non-negotiable duty to ensure that our children can grow up safe. We cannot allow ourselves to become numb to violence, nor can we write off these senseless tragedies as unavoidable. Our children deserve protection,” Buchanan said.
He went on to urge all Jamaican residents to renew their commitment to building safer local communities: spaces where children are shielded from harm, violence is universally rejected, and every young person has the space to dream, grow, and thrive without fear. Speaking in his dual role as the national Opposition’s spokesperson on youth and human rights, Buchanan issued an unreserved condemnation of the killing.
“As Member of Parliament for Eastern Portland and Opposition spokesperson on youth and human rights, I unequivocally condemn this horrific act of violence against one of our nation’s children,” he said. “Our children are our country’s greatest treasure. They are inherently entitled to safety, protection, love, and the chance to grow into adulthood without living in fear of harm.”