Students rally in Grenada demanding justice for 14-year-old killed by stepfather

Grenada: The students of Hillsborough Secondary School in Grenada gathered to demand justice for their fellow mate who was allegedly killed by her stepfather. During the March Past competition on the second day of Intercol, students had cards on their chests that read 'Justice for Esther.' This tribute was given by the students to the young 14-year-old girl, Esther Patterson, who was killed by her stepfather, John Alexis, on March 8. The suspect has since been charged with noncapital murder and made his first appearance at the St George's No 1 Magistrates Court on Tuesday and was remanded to the Richmond Hill Prison. According to the police reports, the suspect is pending the start of the preliminary inquiry, which is scheduled for April 16. The reports also added that Alexis has confessed to committing the crime. The teenager was pronounced dead at the Princess Royal Hospital after Alexis claimed to have found her unresponsive on the compound of the Thy Kingdom Come Sanctuary in Carriacou.

The postmortem report showed several fractured bones, including her neck, which indicated that Esther struggled to save her life. Meanwhile, Alexis's vehicle, which was used to transport Esther to the hospital, has been impounded by police as a key piece of evidence in the ongoing investigation.

The police officials stated that Esther complained to her mother that she was being molested by her stepfather. She continuously complained to her mother about the ongoing sexual abuse she suffered. The mother allegedly refused to believe her and instead reprimanded her for making the complaint and daring to accuse her stepfather of this big crime.

In addition to this, it has also been alleged that the victim's mother lashed out on her daughter for speaking out against her step father. However, Alexis' attorney, Jerry Edwin, stated that his client is fully cooperating with law enforcement.

Notably, citizens and residents of Grenada are taking to social media to demand justice for her. People have also created social media pages in her name, asking for more support from everyone.