Woman begs her daughter to ‘come home’

Her cry is the cry of any mother in her situation, but the hurdles Sheron Hepburn is facing seem too difficult to climb.{{more}}

Hepburn, a domestic from Barrouallie, has been an emotional wreck since her 13 year-old daughter left her home last week Wednesday and hasn’t returned since.

“I just want my daughter to come home,” cried Hepburn.

When SEARCHLIGHT spoke to the teary eyed mother, she explained that she couldn’t understand her daughter’s actions. Hepburn said that her daughter has been living in a house in the area with members of a gang.

Hepburn said she left money for her daughter to buy bread the day she left home. When Hepburn got home, someone told her that her daughter said she was going to meet her man and she was running away. Hepburn said she thought it was a joke and she went into the house. She said when it got late, she started getting worried and made a report to the police about the matter. “I can’t eat, I can’t sleep knowing my daughter is out there.”

As if her troubles weren’t enough, Hepburn told Searchlight that the police in Barrouallie have been of no assistance to her, and they have been verbally and physically abusing her. She said the police told her: “I suppose to control my daughter.

Police ain’t suppose to control her,” related Hepburn. She even said that members of the gang threatened to shoot her, and the police never made any attempts to do anything about it.

Hepburn said she went back to the station on several occasions and kept getting the same answers from the police: “What you want us to do?”

It was not until last Sunday that she received a telephone call from the police stating that she must come and get her daughter. When she arrived at the station she said one of the officers behaved in a rude manner towards her and said: “Jus come get your daughter and get out of here,” she stated. She added that one officer called her wicked and accused her of throwing her daughter out of the house. Hepburn said she held onto her daughter, who was reluctant to move. Hepburn said she took off her slipper and hit her with it, and then one officer came downstairs and pushed her outside the station and even threatened to hit her with a stick and put her in cell. “I can’t understand why they are treating me like this. They are supposed to help me instead of trying to put my daughter against me.”

Hepburn then left the station without her daughter, who she believes returned to the “gang house”.

Hepburn said her daughter was always a quiet child, and she is still puzzled by her behaviour. She is still crying her heart out for her daughter to come home, and is asking the police to please assist her.

When SEARCHLIGHT contacted the Barrouallie police station they said that they were not in any position to disclose any information on the matter.