Update | Teen succumbs to injuries from brutal attack

The teenage girl who was sexually assaulted and severely injured in an attack at her home in Palm Grove Court, St Andrew, on Thursday afternoon has died.

The Hunts Bay police say about 1:59 p.m., 14-year-old Price Johnson was at home when a man entered her apartment, and screams were heard shortly after.

A relative who was alerted entered the residence, and was later seen wrestling with a man who managed to escape in the area.

Price was thereafter found in the apartment with wounds to the head and face.

The injured teen was assisted to hospital where she died while undergoing treatment. Her relative, who had also received injuries, was treated at hospital.

Member of Parliament for South West St Andrew, Dr Angela Brown Burke, has expressed outrage and deep sorrow at the tragic loss.

"This is a heartbreaking and appalling act of violence against an innocent child. No family should have to endure such unimaginable pain, and no community should have to live in fear of such heinous acts. My thoughts and deepest sympathies are with the bereaved family, friends, and residents of Palm Grove Court, who are struggling to come to terms with this devastating incident," she said.

Brown Burke also called for the authorities to act swiftly to bring the perpetrator to justice.

"I urge the Jamaica Constabulary Force to conduct a thorough and expedited investigation to ensure that justice is served. We cannot allow such a reprehensible crime to go unanswered. The safety of our children and communities must be our top priority."

The attacker is reported to be a person of unsound mind and Brown Burke has reiterated the urgent need for stronger mental health interventions and community-based support to prevent such tragedies in the future.

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