Rape and Incest

         The great increase in the incidence of rape and the pernicious scourge of incest now being reported have prompted me to write on the topic today.

Rape ,incest and sexual abuse have been the subject of numerous studies. Several experiments have taken place in an effort to find the best form of psychotherapy suited for the victims.Many treatment plans have been used and different approaches applied.The results have proven that the effects of rape and prolonged sexual abuse are irreversible. The scars  linger unto adulthood to haunt the victims.

In my years of caring for young victims of rape, incest  and sexual abuse in a foster care setting I have also come to the conclusion that the traumatic effects of rape, incest and sexual abuse are to a very great extent irreversible unless the victims have a powerful spiritual experience.

In the human spirit lies a restoring source of healing. In the spirit lies the source of a balm that soothes and restores the broken psyche of the victims.

In my work with the victims of rape and incest in particular I have very gently taken the children on the path of their spiritual journey.They were able to find their own innerstrength. They discovered in their spirit the source of a spiritual energy that they could use to recover from this traumatic experience,put their hurts in the sea of forgetfulness and forgive their abusers.

This poem that I wrote while I cared for girls victims of rape ,incest and sexual abuse is dedicated to girls and women who are victims of this most destructive form of abuse.

                                                        V I O L A T E D

The years of innocence

For ever left behind.

The years of silent tears

And unspoken hurts.

The safety nets of childhood

Broken, shattered

Had let in pains

That touched a tender heart,

A fragile soul,

A vulnerable mind

Too young to understand.

But life itself has its own balm.

A balm that heals.

It springs straight from within,

Restores,remoulds and strenghtens

The yielding spirit ready to soar once more.

.

Women and Children in Peril in Jamaica

Women and children in the Jamaican society are experiencing one of the most horrifying and painful crisis . The number of murders of women and children and the spiraling incidence of rape and abduction have sent women and children cowering in fear.The tears have barely dried on our cheeks that another gruesome murder rips us apart once more.

What are the forces behind all this? Many experts have focussed their attention on the issue of violence against women and children and are baffled by this phenomenon. What has triggered this spate of violence against our women and children? We are left to ponder and worry.

In the Jamaican society women are the pivotal force that keeps the family going. Women play the role of mother and father. They are the ones who shoulder the responsibilty and the burden of raising children left behind by careless and uncaring fathers.

Grandmothers women of great courage stand in the gap when mothers migrate or face severe difficulties.

Women are the backbones of small businesses that provide important services and  inject a great financial input in the economy.

In hospitals,clinics and other institutions that provide care it is again our women who make up the bulk of the staff employed to render such services.

In our schools ,again women out number men and are the ones who choose to impart knowledge to our children.                                                                                                                                                  

Looking at the role of women in the society one would think that our women would get the respect and the protection they need and deserve.  Instead, they are violated and brutally murdered together with our children.

This is a phenomenon that could have very serious politial repercussions. It  is a destabilising force that has put the government under great pressure to bring safety and peace in the society.The government ,the opposition, the church and many organisations have focussed their attention  on this crisis and have  been unable to find measures capable of stemming the flow of this heinous wave of murders, abductions and rapes.

When one looks at the statistics that state that 56 children and 122 women have been murdered to date, that 356cases of rape and 57 cases of abduction have taken place to date one cannot help but think of this society as being in a serious state of chaos.We cannot call this situation” a civil war” but we must admit that this is a state of affairs akin to civil war.The majority of the population is under siege, cringing in fear, prisonners of an unknown enenemy but none too real. The fences are being built higher, security guards are hired to protect sporting uniforms and dark glasses reminiscent of “tonton macoutes”;women are afraid to go about their daily activities and children are traumatised, their life disrupted, devoid of the stability and carefree elements of childhood.                                                                                                           

The government owes it to the nation to restore peace at all cost.Drastic measures should be taken to ensure the safety of all citizens.

In a previous article  dealing with the protection of our children I suggested a change in the law that would enforce parental responsibility and accountability.Parents are responsible for the safety and protection of their chidren not the government.The government takes care of children at risk who are in need of care and protection. Parents should provide a” safety zone” for their children.A” safety zone” could be a neighbour’s house, a baby sitter’s house, the house of a trusted church sister or a trusted relative. Should  parents fail to provide that” safety zone” then these parents would be deemed guilty of neglect and face the consequences should any harm befall their children.Too many children are left to roam the streets  exposed to all sorts of dangers and too often are victims of the predators who lurked in almost every community.                                                                                                                                         

 Children found loitering after school should be cautioned and later on apprehended if found on the streets again.Their parents should be found and made to face the consequences.The time has come for the government to form parents to be responsible for the safety and protection of their children.Parents who are found careless and irresponsible will have to attend parenting classes in order to understand their role as parents and learn what the society expects of them as parents.All sorts of “alert system “ are being put in place but the fact remains that the primary source of protection should be the parents or the guardians.Parents should learn to set boundaries for their children such a task is not the responsibility of the government. 

In this time of crisis I would suggest that a “children patrol”be instituted. Officers sensitised about matters and laws relating to children should be dispatched to patrol areas where children are seen loitering after school and during school hours. The shopping centers, the lanes, the street corners,the main transport areas,the bus stops in school areas where children and young people are seen loitering should be patrolled. These patrol cars with a totally different appearence from the regular police cars will signal to the children that help will be provided if it is needed and also will remind them that they ought not to be on the streets.These officers will be able to answer emergency calls pertaining to children and young people.When they are not in school children should be in the “safety zones” provided by their parents and certainly not on the streets.

Another measure that would provide extra security to our children is the removal from the school areas of all vendors. Very unfortunately some vendors are unscrupulous and sell drugs and pornographic materials to the students. “The good have to suffer for the bad”  so all vendors should be removed from the school environment.

All agencies that deal with young people whether in the fashion industry  or in social services should be scrutinised by the government . Many associations  in  communities all over the island use our children to commit serious forms of child abuse. The law should be very strict and not  allow such associations to flourish. Regular probing and observation of so called “ministry for children ” should take place and licences revoked where it is deemed necessary.

Finally every  constituency should have a centre where children and young people can go to do their homework and socialise under adult supervision. It will not be very difficult to find a woman and a mature man who could supervise the activities of children and young people.This provision would certainly keep our children and young people off the streets and teach them that there are boundaries to be respected.

I admit that these are very dark days both for our women and children but at the end of the dark days in the valley we as a people will see brighter days when the Jamaican society will experience once more peace and stability.God is able.

To Hang or not to Hang

The debate on the death penalty is on in Parliament and the topic is on everyone’s mind and lips.The wave of murders ,rapes and abductions that has left the society reeling in pain and fear has fanned the flames of pro hanging arguments.

I personally find myself giving a lot of thought to the issue of hanging and the enforcement of the death penalty. The crisis facing the society demands very drastic measures. One ,therefore, would instinctively turn to the enforcement of the death penalty as a fitting consequence to these gruesome acts of murder.

Should this measure be adopted,however, the root cause of crime and violence will not be dealt with. The social ills that have brought the society to this unprecedented crisis need urgent intervention and it will certainly take a while for the formulation and actualisation of the programs that would alleviate the social problems facing us at this stage.

When we look at the rate of unemployment in the country we certainly do not have an immediate solution to this problem not with the economy facing such great challenges. The angry , frustrated young people will not forget their anguish and pain in the face of unemployment,hunger and poverty.Their aggressive, violent reaction to their unmet needs, their unrealised dreams will not suddenly be annilihated by  the enforcement of the death penalty.As far as they are concerned the day after the enforcement of the death penalty  will be just another day in hell as usual.

When I look at this reality I am forced to ask myself a few questions.

Hasn’t the noose of poverty , hunger, neglect and abuse been tied around their neck from the cradle slowly stifling their ability to learn through malnutrition,neglect and a totally redundant educational system?

Hasn’t the noose of political neglect been tied around their neck chocking their childhood  and their teenage years in overcrowded, filthy environment through the lack of affordable housing for the working class citizens? Hasn’t it been stifling their wish to sleep on a clean bed and escape the inferno of the tennement yards? killing their dream of being raised in a home with structures and boundaries, rules and principles to abide by.Haven’t the politicians created the inner cities to suit their political needs and greed?

Hasn’t the noose of social prejudices kept them marginalised, unworthy of the respect of their countrymen ,stifling in them the wish to live, filling their heart with such a deep sense of hopelessness, helplessness and anger?

“Innercity people, born criminal, worthless, with no ambition ,fit fe hang” now that they are killing women and children. Hang them !hang them high! dem fe dead!!! dem kill so kill dem!!!…..Hang dem ! hang dem! hang dem for the second time for we done kill dem long time now. Hang dem again! me say hang dem again! dem fe dead two times!…

I say that the enforcement of the death penalty is a futile exercise as the root cause of crime and violence will continue to grow and mushroom as long as we do not put into place programs that will restore hope in the spirit of all jamaicans, restore the dignity and sense of worth of all and create a balance in the distribution of wealth.Let us establish programs that will take the noose from aroud the necks of our children from the cradle.We have sentenced many to death and we have already  killed many as many as there are who are born in the vicious grip of poverty and helplessness. Lucky are those who have wrestled with the odds and have taken the noose off their neck and have become a Melaine Walker and a Shelly-Ann Fraser.To hang or not to hang let us pray about it only God can truly show us the way.

The Armadale Tragedy

Another girl from Armadale, a correctional institution for girls, has died. The seventh in a tragedy that has left the Jamaican society reeling in grief .

Are we going to bury with these seven girls  the hope for drastic changes in the affairs of our    ” children in care”     or has this tragedy stirred enough resolve in our spirit to demand that the rights of our “children in care”    be respected?

The Government in whose hands lie the welfare, the protection, the education and care of these children should take full responsibility for the death of the fire victims of Armadale and should begin to pay special attention to the restructuring  of the system responsible for’”children in care.”

The centralization of children’s affairs should be a priority As it stands,   the fragmentation of the system that oversees the care ,protection and education of” children in care” creates crucial problems that have become endemic and are adversely affecting the welfare of” children in care” – thus the Armadale tragedy. 

The present method of placement of children should be radically changed  and the laws that enforce parental responsibilities applied.

Children who have been raped or sexually abused should be placed in an ” emergency treatment home ” with caregivers who are trained to understand their particular situation.

Children coming from a broken home  should be placed in a ” Group Foster Home “. There in a substitute family setting they will be raised in an environment much more nurturing than what is offered in the places of safety.They will attend school and will not be deprived of an academic education.Their parents should be under a court order attend parenting classes in order to be better equipped to receive their children in the family fold.

Children with very dysfunctional behavioral problems should be placed in a “specialized group home” where the ratio of children to staff is such that due care and attention can be paid to the children in order to effect lasting rehabilitation.The parents should, under court order, participate in the rehabilitation process of their children in order to be prepared for the return of their children in the family fold.The children and young people with very severe behavioural problems do not belong in adult correctional facilities and certainly not in facilities where they are treated like hardcore criminals. 

The overcrowded Places of Safety at this stage  certainly do not offer adequate care to” children in care” and should be phased out.

At this time of our history unfortunately our” children in care” are treated as the rejects of society.Their human rights are blatantly violated by the very people in authority who should offer them care and protection when their parents have failed to do so.

A look at the Places of Safety will show beyond the shadow  of a doubt that the conditions there are the source of the most horrendous and revolting forms of abuse.

The psychological impact of life in an overcrowded ,dehumanising environment stays with the children for ever. In essence the children are psychologically maimed and their development tragically stunted.

Deprived of love,of respect ,of tender care, deprived of the basic academic education, they are thrown in a mould of inferiority, helplessness and hoplessness unable to fulfill their God given right to play a role in the life of their country and attain their full potential as human beings.

When their very souls are saturated with the pain of abuse and a dehumanising life they rebel. When their rage has reached boiling point and they themselves have reached the very edge they rebel. Very sadly, however, their rebellious behaviour is curbed with further abuse in the form of the most inappropriate corrections. No one takes the time to probe, to understand and soothe the troubled minds. Brute force cannot replace love, respect and understanding.

When the physical layout of a building can accomodate forty children and ninety- two children are made to coexist in such limited space it is obvious that there is absolutely no respect given to the rights of the children.There is no respect for their dignity, their own space, their own needs ,their thoughts, their wishes and their pain, their hope and aspirations.

In these overcrowded conditions sexual aggression and deviant sexual behaviour become rampant.Girls rape each other using a piece of broomstick, glass bottles greased with “hair oil”. These attacks leave the victim with a severely lacerated vagina and a very torn psyche.When  dominant girls hold a weaker one down and with a sharp object carve  their mark of possession on her body that victim is marked for life. The strongest and the most violent prevail.

Boys experience sexual abuses just like the girls . Again the strongest prevail and the abuses continue in the most brutal forms.These problems are often ignored or are very casually swept under the rug.

Deprived of the most basic form of academic education these children remain functionally illiterate falling sadly into the category of the unemployable later on in life.

I have said it in previous articles we are failing our children. Their tears as blood will stain the conscience of those who abuse them and trample on their rights.

This state of affair in various child care institutions typifies the days of slavery. The” haves” the” masters” enjoy the luxury of a good life that allows them to offer care ,protection and education to their offsprings,whereas, mothers in the masses often have to turn to the state to help them care for their children. These children just like the children of the field slaves have no right and no voice. They will suffer the crushing humiliation of being “government pickney” the rejects of society till one day their “bile bag buss” and they rebel.At Armadale their rebellion was viciously squahed. The girls were tear-gassed and forced to face the inferno of the burning building behind bars.

My heart cries out when I think of the anguish, the fear, the excrutiating pain, the girls of Armadale must have felt.The questions abound: Who cares? why the tear gas? why the rebellion?What were the instructions given by the Child’s Advocate that she says were not implemented?Why wasn’t there a follow up to see that the wrongs were rectified?In whose hands lie the guilt and the responsibility ? Will justice prevail and the people guilty of negligence be made to face the law?… Time will tell…

The Prime Minister deeply moved by this tragedy has ordered an inquiry. Will the truth ever come out? Will the affairs of our” chilren in care” ever be managed with a genuine respect for their rights as children of the land?…

In closing, I would like to say a word of encouragement to the various members of staff in the system who regardless of the shortcomings serve the children with all their heart.Keep up the good work because for every child we save it is a man ,a woman we save.

To the girls who lost their lives may you rest in peace. May the tears that you shed be not in vain. May your blood be the force that will bring about changes in the affairs of “children in care.” May justice and respect prevail.

The Death of Another Nine Year Old Child

Once more we are left in shock  and we grieve the death of another child. Once more, we are left bewildered and helpless  in the face of such brutality  and  reckless violence against our children.This little nine year old boy was brutally  sodomised, stabbed repeatedly and left to die on a lonely bushy track  miles away from where he lived. 

This incident is reminiscent of the Ananda  case a little nine year old girl who was violated , killed  and left  in a remote area in  Red Hills .

As much as I sympathise with the mother and father of the victims  a very important question comes back to my mind.Where does parental responsibility lie in such cases? Why should a child be allowed on his/her own without any protection left to face alone the evil forces that  are fast overtaking our communities?  Why?

I have said this before and I will say it again : to the parents, in law, lies the sacred responsibility to offer care and protection to their children. In this case the child did not go to school because there was no money for his bus fare so he stayed home.Where was his mother? where was  his father or  his guardian? Under whose supervision was he? How comes he was in another area away from home offering his services to an adult? It is obviously something that he has done in the past and felt comfortable doing trustingly. This time in his trusting innocence he went to the wrong adult and perished.

What degree of responsibility do the parents bear in such a tragic situation? Of course one would find it very difficult to tell a parent under such traumatic and tragic circumstances that  he or she is guilty of neglecting  the  child. It is a very painful reality but it is nevertheless a fact that we must all face.The child should have been under the care and protection of the parents or guardians. Why were there no provisions made for the child to attend school? Should the parents be facing an extremely difficult financial  situation  they could have  secured  help from any government agency  responsible for special support to families in distress; they could have approached the church in the area and ensured the child’s opportunity to attend school.All this puts into focus”  parental responsibility and care.”A child  repeatedly left on his own is a child who runs the risk of facing all sorts of dangers and therefore  needs care and protection.Where do we go from here

When is the law going to be applied effectively to protect and care for our children? In this case, it is imperative that the Child’s Advocate’s office conducts a thorough investigation  and a home assessment  to better understand where the very important rule of care and protection has been disregarded.The time has come to bring justice to our children and take the necessary steps to enforce parental responsibility.

In Support of the Police Arresting Truant Students

 

The police have arrested 17 young students  found    half naked  at Salt  River.I personally commend the police for their action in this matter.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Delinquency is becoming a scourge on this society. Very drastic measures have to be taken to curb the total lack of discipline displayed by some of our young people.Once the delinquents are arrested the next step should be to bring their parents into the picture for a proper home assessment to take place. Should  adequate parenting be found  lacking  and support needed  to enforce discipline and offer proper guidance to the young people it will be done by the relevant authorities.

This is definitely a good step in the right direction. Thanks to the vigilant and caring people who called the police and the interest  of the police in this matter those young people will be hopefully set on the right track.

The Death of Another Nine Year Old Child

International Women’s Day.

This is my personal contribution to the celebration of International Women’s Day.This poem was written in Toronto, Canada in 1992.To the women of the world who still fight to keep their inner balance in  various societies where they are not valued I say :Keep on fighting for your rights .The day of  justice is near .Love yourselves.Keep spreading love .It is the only way to secure our victory.

                                I   Am   a  Woman                            

In my veins courses the blood of many generations.

My womb is the cradle of  life.

My arms hold the lover gently

And my sensitive soul gives him warmth.

My hands lovingly hold the new born

And my bosom gives comfort as I provide the milk of life.

My spirit keeps the flame of love alive

As I strengthen the family ties.

My vision creates a balance of love and justice

As I help build a better world.

I am a woman.

Starting a New Year

The year 2009 has started with a wave of hope that swept the world when Barack Obama  became president of the United States.Hope is powerful and can motivate us to achieve beyond our very own expectations. The failure to realise the things hoped for can in the same token drag us down into the pit of despair and helplessness.

In saying this I cannot  help but think of the many children and young people who today are caught in the web of helplessness and hopelessness.Children who are thrown out of the nest for reasons that they themselves cannot explain, children who suffer the daily pain of rejection and abuse, young people living on the fringe of society are in that pit of despair often convinced that they will never come out of this hell.For these children and young people, I say a very special prayer that somehow Hope will enter their life and bring about changes beyond their own expectations.I am encouraging all women to be  spiritual mothers and  be the bearers of that torch of hope that will be the light on the path of these children and young people during the year 2009. 

We are facing desperate times and we need to turn our eyes to the Mighty Spirit to be enfused with the powerful spirit of love and compassion  in order to reestablish order and peace in our society.To carry that torch of hope is a daily commitment and a sacred responsibility.Again I say that :For every child we save is a man /a woman of tomorrow that we save.Each one take one for a better Jamaica a better world.

The Case of the Abandoned Two Year Old Child

          The case of the two year old child abandoned by her nineteen year old mother Nicolette Ledford is  a  very complex case.

First of all there is the decision of the police officer who caused a child “at risk” to be taken back  into an  extremely abusive environment after caring neighbours had taken the child to the police station.

A very important question poses itself. Did the officer act on his own volition or did he contact the Child’s Advocate’s office and acted on their instructions?

On the basis that he acted on his own this officer blatantly breached the law. He had absolutely no right nor the authority to act on his own in such a serious child welfare matter.

Had he acted on the Child’s Advocate’s instructions, the Child’s Advocate should have taken the necessary steps to ensure that care and protection are provided to the child.The matter should have gone before the court where the appropriate recommendations would have been made on the merit of the case. If the Child’s Advocate instructed the officer without the necessary steps being followed there is again a very serious breach of the law regarding the welfare of the child.This aspect of the case needs to be investigated  and the responsibilities  set out where they belong.

The statements given by the neighbours leave  absolutely no doubt about the degree of abuse suffered by the child. The neighbours expressed not only their concerns for the child but also their anger in the face of the officer’s decision.The officer’s decision in this case had very serious repercussions. The grand-mother who was deemed to be a responsible care giver by the officer simply took the child back to her mother. The abuse continued and culminated in the  child being abandoned. The grand-mother to whom the child had been entrusted for  care and protection has her share of responsibility in this case.The degree of responsiblity born by the officer  in the issue is a very important aspect of this case.

Had the matter been reported to the relevant authorities the young mother would have undergone a psychologial assessment or a psychiatric assessment to determine the degree of responsiblity she bears in the case.  She would have gotten counselling relevant to her needs and after all this had been done she would have  faced  the consequences of her actions.

It is obvious that this mother needs help and certainly not severe punishment at this stage. Did she receive any form of counselling when at the age of 16 she gave birth to a malformed baby. Did she suffer from “post partum ” depression and was unable to bond with her baby?It is obvious by the severity of the abuse that the mother did not bond at all with the child.  Her actions were not only cruel but callous.In what frame of mind has this mother been since the birth of her child to have abused her to that extent.Only a psychologiacl assessment can elucidate these very complex questions.Putting her in jail at this stage and severely punishing her is certainly not the solution.She needs professional help now and needs it badly.I am sure that this young woman will have other children. It is therefore imperative that she receives the attention she needs to be a better parent in the future.She will then face the consequences of her actions after due care has been given to her mental health. 

The final question concerns the father.Where has the father been since the birth of this child? Is the father another teen or an older man? Has the police found him and has he been brought in to face the law? He fathered this child and bears as much responsiblity in the caring of this child as the mother does.The time has come for the authorities to bring in the fathers to face the law and their responsibility as fathers.

To conclude ,I must say that I am profoundly disappointed by the simplistic statement made by the Child’s Advovate and Betty -Ann Blain. There is a need for the correction of this young mother for her actions, but to talk about applying severe punishment without first understanding  the condition of this mother is to my mind a total lack of insight .I expected the Child’s Advocate to question right away the action of the police officer in the case but there again she did not voice an opinion. It is her mandate to see to it that the laws and regulations pertaining to children are respected in all areas.Let us hope that th0se responsible for the total bungling of this case will be held accountable. The time has come for  the machinery that provides care and protection and above all sees to the proper implementation of the laws and regulations pertaining to children be  fixed so that we can truly offer care and protection to our children “at risk”. The New Act is a powerful instrument. Let us use it effectively for the benefit of our children.

Who Will Pick up the Street Children ?

There have been marches and prayer vigils. There has been the building of a monument to honour the memory of our children who have died under tragic circumstances. There have been numerous speeches and promises to better protect our children. Special emergency phone numbers have been set aside to offer assistance to children in distress. All these initiatives are very positive indeed,but with all this some of our children boys and girls are still seen begging at street corners,Liguanea , Half -Way Tree and Three Miles, loitering  in various malls and begging,exposed to the evil of the predators who roam our communities.

My question to the authorities whose mandate it is to protect our children is a very simple one:When are the street children going to be apprehended? Being obviously” in need of care and protection”they should be picked up by the police and taken to a place of safety.Their parents should be found and charged with neglect and abuse of these children.What is the Child’s advocate doing in the face of such a situation?

Aren’t these children the nation’s children?Aren’t they worthy of respect, care, protection and love? The question remains : Who will pick up these children before the year ends? Will someone in authority do something? Actions speak louder than words…

To those who are helping our children I wish all the very best for 2009. May the Mighty Spirit of God continue to be the light that shines on your path.Continue your good work.Remember that :for each child we save is a man ,a woman of the future we save. Each one take one for a better Jamaica.

Tribute to a Woman Who Cared

 In 1972,my husband and myself fostered 15 little girls taken from various Places of Safety  in Kingston Jamaica.Thus was born the Link  a group foster home the first of its kind in Jamaica.

It was indeed a great challenge and a great task. I thank God for the many women who rallied around us to help us.

Joyce campbell was one of these women. Joyce did so much for the girls that words are inadequate to describe the depth of her love and commitment.

“Aunt Joyce” as the girls called her offered dancing classes totally free of cost to 15 girls when the number of girls had gone up to 25. Her work with the girls did wonders. It was like waving a magic wand and make great changes occur.Poise, self confidence and the sheer joy of being accepted in private dancing club The Jayteens brought the best out of the girls.

Joyce often came by simply to drop a few gifts for the girls. This was often done quietly. She wanted no thanks and certainly no gratitude. It came from her heart and we all knew it.The gifts came whenever her heart dictated.She did not wait for the special occasions. In her heart love had no special occasions. She simply gave with love any time.

You are no more Joyce, but your love will forever be in  my heart. You were a true friend someone who truly cared.Wherever they are the girls will always remember you.