The Nation Mourns Again — When Will Women and Children Be Safe in Jamaica?

Another Jamaican daughter has been silenced, and once again, the nation watches in horror as her name joins a growing list of women and girls brutally taken from us. Derricka Rodgers, known lovingly as “Muffy,” was only 20 years old. Her life was just beginning. Instead of celebrating her youth and dreams, her family is now grieving her tragic death—her body found in a septic pit, concealed beneath concrete, after she went missing days earlier.

We cannot look away from this. We must not.

Derricka’s story is heartbreaking, but sadly, not unique. Her murder follows the recent disappearances and deaths of Anisa Dilworth, a UTech student, and Kelsey Ferrigon, the nine-year-old girl whose violent rape and killing stunned even the most jaded among us. These aren’t isolated events. They are the manifestation of a growing epidemic—violence against women and children that continues to be met with far too little urgency from the systems meant to protect them.

What’s most disturbing about Derricka’s case is the cruel method of disposal—stuffed in a septic pit, as though her life had no value. And it was her father, not the authorities, who led the search that ultimately uncovered the gruesome scene. This speaks volumes about how under-resourced, reactive, or at times indifferent the state response can be in cases of missing women.

Even more chilling is the allegation that the man she went to visit—allegedly her boyfriend—has since left the island. If true, it begs the question: how could someone so closely tied to a disappearance be able to flee unchecked? Where are the safeguards? The alerts? The systems of accountability?

And while outrage pours out on TikTok, Instagram, and other platforms—with tributes, prayers, and heartfelt pleas—the question remains: What next? When does the social media heartbreak transform into real change?

There must be a national reckoning. We need stronger protections for women and girls, faster responses to missing persons cases, and a zero-tolerance approach to gender-based violence. Every disappearance should be treated with urgency, not suspicion or delay. Every murder must carry the full weight of justice—not just for closure, but as a signal that the nation will not allow its daughters to die in silence.

To the grieving families—of Derricka, Anisa, and Kelsey—our hearts break with yours. But grief alone is not enough. We must demand more: from our police, from our politicians, from our justice system, and from ourselves.

Because if we don’t act, we will write this same commentary next month. About another girl. Another name. Another life lost too soon. And by then, we will have waited too long.

Enough is enough.