Chief Magistrate Joyann Ferguson-Pratt yesterday pledged to investigate claims of mistreatment made by three former Doris Johnson High School students accused of the murder of another student.

The accused, ages 18, 15 and 16, who are charged with the December 9, 2015 murder of Adonai Wilson on Prince Charles Drive, claimed they had found glass shards in their food. One claimed that the victim's father, who works at the prison, had deliberately shone a flashlight in his eyes.

Ferguson-Pratt had initially remanded the younger boys to the Simpson Penn School For Boys, but they were sent to prison after the officer in charge of the facility deemed them a security risk.

The murder suspects were in court for the presentation of a voluntary bill of indictment (VBI), which would transfer the case to the Supreme Court.

The VBI presentation is now scheduled for February 24.

Yesterday, Ferguson-Pratt said she believed that the children ought not be in prison and that a separate facility should be in place for juveniles. She promised to address their complaints to the commissioner of the Department of Corrections.

The magistrate called in the victim's family, who had been asked to leave the court during the brief hearing. Ferguson-Pratt advised Wilson's family of the adjourn date. She also addressed allegations that the accused were being interfered with at the prison and told the family if those claims were true they should let the law take its course.

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