A probe conducted by the Office of the Children's Advocate (OCA) has concluded that there is no link between last month's death of Prickly Pole Primary and Infant School student, 11 year old Akella Lewis, and the organisers of a demonstration in St. Ann.
The OCA's interim report on the incident, was tabled on Tuesday in the House of Representatives.
It states that the demonstration did not result in Akella's death and she previously suffered from congenital heart problems and shortness of breath.
In her conclusion, Children's Advocate, Diahann Gordon-Harrison said Akella was not in Claremont at anytime during the protest and there was no truth to claims that she was hit by a bus and died.
Akella collapsed on the school's compound on September 18 as students were being taken by their parents to participate in a political demonstration in Claremont.
The Children's Advocate says while there is nothing wrong with children participating in political events they should be of sufficient age and maturity to understand and exercise their inherent freedom to participate without manipulation.
Meanwhile, the OCA report also stated that former Prickly Pole School Board Chairman, Vinette Robb-Oddman, did not express good judgement in her planning of the protest.
The report states that Robb-Oddman was not only the person who organized the demonstration but was present when parents came to remove their children from the school to participate in the protest.
According to the OCA, in her role as Chairman of the School Board, . Robb-Oddman was in a position of authority and trust in relation to both the children and parents.
The OCA says she owed a duty to care for all members of her school community which was breached by her involvement in the protest.
A week after the incident, Robb-Oddman was removed from theposition by the Ministry of Education which felt her involvement in the protest was not in accordance with her professional position.
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