After weeks of mounting pressure on the authorities to release a teenage mother from jail, officials from the Bordelais Correctional Facility (BCF) have finally decided to let her free.
The teenager was released on Wednesday morning and the first words she uttered to the local press was, “I don’t want to go back there. I made mistakes, but I learnt from my mistakes.”
The 17-year-old mother disclosed that she was being harassed by another female inmate who is currently in prison for murder, but said she was not otherwise abused or mistreated.
Only on Monday, Raise Your Voice Saint Lucia issued a statement calling again for her release and expressing disappointment that she was being held in a maximum security prison.
Human Rights activist Mary Francis had also called for her release.
The teenager was 4 months pregnant when she was placed behind bars for intentionally causing harm.
She later gave birth at Victoria Hospital and was transferred to a special unit of the prison.
(7)
(1)