Three weeks of collective hope across Dominica have given way to overwhelming national grief, after law enforcement confirmed the discovery of 16-year-old Jerbia Paul’s remains in the Capuchin region. In an official address to the nation, Dr. Cassandra Williams, Minister of State with oversight for Seniors Security, Children at Risk, Gender Affairs, and Persons with Disabilities, extended heartfelt condolences and solidarity to Paul’s family, friends, and all communities touched by the tragedy.
For nearly 21 days, Paul’s disappearance gripped the country: her family held out for a safe return, local communities coordinated search efforts and shared appeals, and ordinary Dominicans joined in prayer for the missing teen. That collective hope has now shifted to mourning, prompting Dr. Williams to use this moment to confront a long-simmering national crisis that the tragedy has thrown into sharp relief: the urgent need to strengthen safeguards for girls and young women across the country.
Dr. Williams emphasized that sexual abuse, exploitation, and gender-based violence can never be normalized, excused, hidden, or ignored in any society. “No child should live in fear of the adult entrusted to protect them,” she stated, rejecting the harmful, widespread cultural narrative that shifts blame for abuse onto child victims, rather than the adult perpetrators who exploit their vulnerability. “A child cannot be held responsible for being exploited. Adults have a duty to protect children, not prey upon their innocence, trust, and disadvantaged circumstances.”
This collective responsibility to protect vulnerable youth falls on every segment of Dominican society, the minister argued. Parents and guardians must stay actively engaged in their children’s lives, watching for sudden shifts in behavior, relationships, or personal circumstances that may signal harm. Communities must resist the impulse to look away when red flags of abuse appear, while frontline stakeholders including teachers, healthcare workers, social service providers, faith leaders, and youth organizations must strengthen their commitment to identifying and reporting suspected abuse. Anyone who suspects a child is at risk must understand that silence only enables further harm, Dr. Williams stressed.
Addressing directly the adult population of Dominica, Dr. Williams made clear that there is no justification for the sexual exploitation of children. No form of leverage—whether authority, money, gifts, transportation, housing, influence, or emotional manipulation—can ever justify sexual access to a minor. Existing Dominican law already requires people who become aware of suspected child sexual abuse to report the issue to authorities, and Dr. Williams urged all residents to take this legal and ethical obligation seriously.
“Our girls and young women are not objects, not commodities to be exploited,” Dr. Williams said. “They are our daughters, sisters, students, and young citizens, entitled to grow up in safety, dignity, and freedom from violence. The responsibility to protect them, respect their boundaries, and reject exploitation rests on every adult around them.”
The Ministry of Social Services will continue expanding its collaborative work with families, communities, schools, law enforcement, and partner institutions to strengthen child safeguarding systems, improve early identification of at-risk children, streamline reporting and referral mechanisms, and expand access to psychosocial support for vulnerable youth and their families. But Dr. Williams acknowledged that government action alone is not enough to reverse the culture of silence that enables abuse.
“This moment demands collective responsibility and collective national introspection,” she said. “We must all ask what more we can do—whether as family members, community members, or as a nation—to spot vulnerability sooner, listen when children speak up, act quickly when warning signs emerge, and create a culture where perpetrators cannot hide behind fear, stigma, and silence.”
Dr. Williams urged the public to give law enforcement the space and cooperation needed to conduct a full, impartial investigation into the circumstances of Paul’s death, calling on residents to avoid unsubstantiated speculation, the spread of unverified information, and commentary that could jeopardize the investigation or cause further harm to Paul’s grieving family. Anyone with information that could assist the probe was strongly encouraged to share it directly with police.
Even in the depths of this national grief, Dr. Williams called for the tragedy to ignite a renewed national commitment to ending child exploitation. “Not one more girl should suffer because adults stayed silent. Not one more child should be exploited because warning signs were ignored. Not one more young woman should be made to believe that violence and abuse are an inevitable part of life,” she said. “We must speak out. We must report. We must intervene. And above all, we must protect our girls and women.”
In a direct message to the girls and young women of Dominica, Dr. Williams reaffirmed their inherent worth and right to safety: “Your life has value. Your body belongs to you. You deserve to be safe. You deserve to be heard. You deserve to grow, learn, and chase your dreams without fear of violence, exploitation, or abuse.”
The Ministry of Social Services has made free counselling and psychosocial support services available to all individuals, families, and communities affected by the tragedy. Those in need of support are encouraged to contact the Department of Social Services to access care from qualified counsellors and psychologists, which will remain available throughout the grieving process.
Closing her address, Dr. Williams extended the full compassion of the Dominican government and people to Paul’s family, amid what she called an unfathomable period of grief and pain. “May God strengthen you, and may you find comfort in the support of your family, your community, and an entire nation that has stood with you throughout this painful search,” she said. “May this tragedy awaken in all of us a deeper, unwavering commitment to protecting our children and young women.”