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.