JAMAICA
Loop
Under intense pressure, Hampton School Principal, Heather Murray, has apologised to students at the institution for what she described as “a breach of common sense” on her part after her appearance at a bail hearing for an accused child molester.
In addressing a group of students at the all-girls institution in devotion on Monday’s first day of the new school term, Murray, a close friend of the accused man’s wife, explained that she went to the court as a Justice of the Peace (JP), to sign documents relating to the accused man’s bail bond.
She said she obstructed photo journalists taking pictures of the accused, Pastor Rupert Clarke, because his lawyer had indicated it was illegal to do so, even though she was not aware of that as a JP.
The principal said she was hurt over the allegations against Clarke, who has been accused of having sex with a 15-year-old girl. The 64-year-old pastor was allegedly caught by police personnel on patrol in St Elizabeth, in a compromising position in a parked car with the girl nearly two weeks ago.
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