UTech rallies for justice after Anisa Dilworth’s tragic death
Published:Tuesday | May 20, 2025 | 12:11 AMSashana Small/Staff Reporter
Students and staff at the University of Technology, Jamaica (UTech) staged a protest on Monday, voicing their grief and outrage over the presumed tragic death of student Anisa Dilworth. The 20-year-old, a first-year pharmaceutical technology student, was last seen nearly two weeks ago.
“We are in pain. We are in mourning. A lot of our staff are deeply distressed; our students as well are completely distraught,” said UTech President Dr Kevin Brown.
On Saturday, the police were alerted to the discovery of human skeletal remains on a beach in Portmore, St Catherine. While formal identification is awaiting results from forensic analysis, the investigators believe the remains belong to Dilworth based on evidence rerieved at the scene. Among the items found was a set of keys, which investigators used to open the door to a room that Dilworth rented and occupied on Gordon Town Road in Papine, St Andrew.
Head of the St Andrew Central Police Division, Superintendent Mark Harris, told The Gleaner last week that a driver with ride-sharing service inDrive was taken into custody on May 10. Up to yesterday, no charges had been laid against him, as he continues to face questions from investigators.
Another person is also being sought for questioning; however, the police have declined to publicly share details on this individual.
Monday’s protest was organised by UTech’s Students’ Union. Its president, Percival Roberts, says it was necessary to raise awareness about Dilworth’s death and call for swift action against those responsible.
“We believe it is our duty as students to stand in solidarity for our students. It was up to us to ensure that this did not die down,” he said. “We had to ensure we did this to honour Anisa, and also in honouring the ‘end violence against women’ [campaign],” he said.
Roberts is advocating for stricter penalties for those committing such crimes and for better surveillance across the country.
Meanwhile, Brown said Dilworth’s death has traumatised the university community, acknowledging that the administration is exploring ways to improve campus safety.
“No principal or president expects to have this scenario where we’ve loss a student under such tragic circumstances,” he said.
Joey Brown, a second-year student and friend of Dilworth’s, said he remains in disbelief over her killing.
“It is still a bit hard to grasp. I am still in denial. I saw her a few weeks ago, and it just feels a bit unreal that myself – a young man – is walking and doing a protest and asking for justice for a friend. I would never expect myself to be in a position like this,” he said.
Anisa’s father, Everton Dilworth, who participated in the protest, is hopeful that the law will take its course.
“We want to see the outcome of this, and justice being served,” he said. “We are not standing for the stupidness and the abuse and what has happened to my daughter. We are not standing for it.”
Professor Densil Williams, principal of the neighbouring University of the West Indies, Mona, joined the protest to show solidarity with UTech. He called for a national shift in values and attitudes, urging Jamaicans to stand up against all forms of violence.
“Leaders have to now appreciate the role of values and attitudes. We have to go back to the days when each other was our brother’s keeper. We have to go back to the days when the community is looking out for the safety of everybody,” he said.
He added: “End the violence against women, end the violence against kids, end the violence against the elderly, end the violence now. We are tired of it in Jamaica, and we must do something about it. We should not allow Ms Dilworth’s life to go in vain. This should be a rallying cry for all of us to start stepping back and look at it and reflect and say, ‘How can I assist our country to be a better place?’”