The Tribune

By FARRAH JOHNSON

Tribune Staff Reporter

fjohnson@tribunemedia.net

THE trial of six women charged with child cruelty in connection with the beating of a number of wards at the Children’s Emergency Hostel earlier this year did not start as scheduled yesterday.

In February, Eloise Canter, 52, Carmetta Woods, 47, Natasha Pratt, 46, Occonelle Gordon, 25, Sabrina Smith, 61, and Shawn Seymour, 42, appeared before Chief Magistrate Joyann Ferguson-Pratt charged with 11 counts of cruelty to children.

A surveillance video showing children being beaten in a care home went viral on social media in January. After the footage became public, a number of employees were “relieved of their duties” pending the outcome of a police investigation.

The former staff members are accused of unlawfully physically abusing nine boys and two girls in a way that caused them unnecessary suffering on September 22, 2020.

Seymour is further accused of failing to report the abuse of the minors — who range from ages seven to 11 — to the appropriate officials on the day in question.

At the time, all of the women denied the allegations and the matter was adjourned for a four-day trial that was scheduled to begin yesterday.

However, when the defendants came to the Magistrate’s Court, they mistakenly appeared before the juvenile court which did not have any authority over the matter, as it was being heard before the chief magistrate.

However, none of the accused was present when the matter was called in Magistrate Joyann Ferguson-Pratt’s court hours later.

After she was informed of the mix-up, she told one of the attorneys in the case to inform them to return to court on December 1.

Canter, Woods, Pratt, Smith, Seymour and Gordon all had their $9,500 bails extended until that time.