Woman Given Suspended Sentence for 2019 Baby Theft Case

Kingston, Jamaica — Anneisha Ramsay, the woman who pleaded guilty to stealing a five-week-old baby in 2019 after allegedly agreeing to adopt the infant for $500,000, was handed a two-year suspended sentence this afternoon in the Home Circuit Court.

Justice Leighton Pusey, in delivering the sentence, acknowledged the gravity of the crime but ruled that a non-custodial sentence was appropriate. He noted that Ramsay was not directly involved in the abduction of the baby and had no prior criminal record. The court also considered a positive social inquiry report and the fact that Ramsay was in a state of emotional distress after losing her own child at the time of the incident.

Ramsay pleaded guilty to child stealing last December.

The case stemmed from the abduction of baby Nyyear Frank on October 13, 2019, while his mother was walking along Rousseau Road in St. Andrew. She was reportedly forced into a vehicle by men who later took the infant before releasing her.

Authorities discovered the baby in Ramsay’s care on January 22, 2020, at a house in Hopewell, St. Andrew, leading to her arrest.

Court records revealed that Ramsay had been in contact with an individual who provided her with the baby before the abduction. She has maintained that she was unaware the child had been stolen when she agreed to adopt him.

Ramsay claimed she was misled by a friend who told her he knew someone involved in adoptions and could help her get a child. According to her, she was unable to make the required payment, but her friend assured her a payment plan could be arranged. She further alleged that when she later became suspicious and tried to return the baby, her friend blocked all contact with her.

Ramsay was represented by attorney-at-law Kayon Atkinson.

The case highlights the ongoing risks surrounding illegal adoptionsy and child trafficking, with the court sending a message about the severity of such crimes while also considering Ramsay’s personal circumstances.