Relatives, especially siblings of the young girl who was sexually assaulted and killed in St. Catherine on Friday, will be getting counselling and trauma response support.

Dead is 9-year-old Kelsey Cassidy Ferrigon of Job Lane in Spanish Town.

Kelsey’s partially naked body was discovered, upside down, inside a barrel at her home.

Further reports are that she had been missing for some time, and her brother discovered her body.

The Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA) dispatched a team of first responders yesterday.

It said that while the team continues its probe into the incident, it has referred the mother and all three siblings to the Ministry of Justice’s Victim Services Division for counselling, which will begin tomorrow.

CPFSA’s Chief Executive Officer, Laurette Adams-Thomas, said the brutal nature of the girl’s death reflects a chilling disregard for the sanctity of childhood.

She lamented that Kelsey’s 16-year-old brother, who made the discovery, as well as her mother and two other siblings, aged 6 and 3, are now left to grapple with this unspeakable trauma.

She said the Agency will work closely with the police and other authorities to support the family during this time of loss.

The CPFSA Head also noted that the crime unfolded during Child Month – a time designated to raise awareness about children’s rights, and to advocate for their protection.

She said this year’s theme, “Stand Up, Speak Out: Stop Child Abuse and Exploitation,” takes on an even greater urgency in the wake of this tragedy.