Thirteen-year-old in coma after Harbour View stabbing during domestic dispute

Thirteen-year-old Camilleia Paul remains unconscious and in critical condition at Kingston Public Hospital after she was stabbed on Saturday night while trying to break up a violent domestic dispute in Bayshore Park, near Harbour View, St. Andrew.

The incident unfolded shortly after 10 p.m. on May 9, when Kamar Mitchell, identified by relatives as the father of the injured girl’s cousin’s child, reportedly went to a family home and attacked the mother of his child during a heated confrontation. Relatives said a restraining order had previously been taken out against Mitchell over alleged abusive behaviour toward the woman.

Paul and another relative were reportedly trying to separate the pair when the teenager was wounded. Her mother, Josephine Mitchell, said on Tuesday that amid the struggle she felt a blow to her abdomen and then realised she had been stabbed. The child collapsed moments later as blood flowed from the wound. Mitchell said the suspect allegedly tried to continue attacking relatives with the same knife before fleeing the community. Residents chased him, but he escaped.

Police said their search for Mitchell is continuing and investigations remain active. Since the attack, Paul has not spoken and has been unable to eat, her mother said. Doctors performed emergency surgery on Sunday after finding severe internal bleeding, but further scans showed extensive damage to her liver, leading medical staff to schedule another urgent operation.

Josephine Mitchell said she has been told to obtain specialised surgical supplies needed for the procedure that she cannot afford on her own. She said she has about $70,000 available while one required device alone costs close to $100,000, and she has spent days moving between pharmacies and medical suppliers trying to meet doctors’ requests. She is also appealing for blood donations.

Relatives described Paul as cheerful and respectful and said she should have been in school this week. Instead, her family has been at her bedside praying for signs of improvement. Mitchell, a mother of three, said Paul is her firstborn and only 13. “She did her exams and passed the school of her choice,” she said.

Anyone willing to assist Josephine Mitchell may contact her at 876-590-7998.