Newsday

A recent report about an eight-year-old child being rescued after years of abuse at the hands of a relative is a reminder of glaring deficiencies that exist in our State systems and in social awareness.

There are simply too many gaps. Untold numbers of cases are likely slipping through the cracks.

While some attention has been paid to the conduct of the Children’s Authority in the recent case, we do not think it fair to question the actions adopted by the Authority without a full understanding of the facts.

And because the case involves a minor, many aspects of it must remain confidential. The Authority is not in any position to defend itself, nor should it be forced to engage in public debate over what should have be done in this sensitive case.

It must also be remembered that child rescue is not just a simple matter of finding a safe house and placing a child in it.

A complex matrix of factors must be examined. Things officials might consider include the welfare of the child, the impact of being close to relatives as opposed to strangers, the availability of suitable locations. None of this is clear cut.

What we can question is whether the Authority has enough resources to act speedily on reports sent to it. If the Authority was unable to act on a report made in January, why was this the case? It has been suggested the nature of the report made a difference in the response.

However, we find this an unconvincing basis upon which to differentiate degrees of urgency.

Surely any report involving the interests of a child deserves urgent attention? However, none of this should make us lose sight of other glaring matters. The biggest issue raised by the recent report is the fact that a known sexual offender seems to have been able to function unhindered in a community.

We must ask: what is the status of efforts to examine the sexual offenders’ registry? That registry is kept private for law enforcement officials and other State officers. However, we feel there is enough basis to make such a registry more widely available to give communities the information they need to take precautions.

It is true there is a risk of acts of vigilante justice. However, it seems clear enough that information about the offender in this particular case was already public information. A relative of the abused child states she though the offender, “was over that”. Was there a need for the community as a whole to have more information about this offender? Was the offender not a risk to other children or persons in the vicinity? The State has to take a closer look at how a registry available to parents might work.

Related to this is the vital question of treatment and rehabilitation.

If it is true the offender in the case is a repeat offender, this is a clear sign of a need for more facilities to help counsel persons found to cross the line.

But more importantly, there needs to be counselling for the victims. Somewhere out there is a prior child whose case may have slipped the radar. Who was lobbying on her behalf? Who was seeking her interests as this offender moved on the next subject of his proclivities? People can bad-talk the Children’s Authority — which has been making strides — all they want. The real issue is the system in which the Authority functions.

It must be remembered the Authority is relatively new and the enormous extent of the problem it is meant to address is only now becoming clearer.

Source: http://archives.newsday.co.tt/2017/03/06/too-many-gaps/

In a release the authority noted children who run away from home are at high risk of being exposed to physical and sexual abuse, as perpetrators have access to them.

An appeal was made to parents to know where their children are and ensure they are supervised by a trusted adult.

The authority also advised parents to set boundaries on where their children are allowed to go, and enforce them, and make sure safety measures are taken for Carnival. Parents should encourage children to check in with them when they are not at home, know their friends, monitor their social media and cell phone activity and observe changes in behaviour which may reveal signs of abuse.

Newsday has published ten reports of children under the age of 18 who have gone missing in the past two months. While some children returned to their homes, others suffered a worse fate.

One of them was Abiela Adams, a 15-year-old footballer who took part in the CONCACAF Under-15 Women’s Championship last year. Less than 12 hours after she was reported missing on February 11, Adams was found dead with her throat slit, on the side of the road in Courland, Tobago.

She was lauded as a footballer with great potential and was set for screening to join the under- 17 team.

Since her death, three people were held and questioned but were released.

Source: http://archives.newsday.co.tt/2017/02/23/childrens-authority-concerned-with-missing-children/

NALINEE SEELAL

Police sources said the 26-year-old suspect of San Fernando is facing charges including sexual grooming, abduction, unlawful sex with a minor, sexual touching and others. The search is now underway for the teen’s neighbour who cannot be found. The victim is a Form III student of a school in East Trinidad.

The reverend, who leads a flock at a church in La Romaine, began communicating with the schoolgirl in January via Facebook and almost 11 months later, he managed to convince the girl to meet with him last week Friday.

She was picked up outside her home in East Trinidad at 8 am and taken to a lonely area near the Sangre Grande Hindu Primary School where the man had sex with her in his car. He later dropped her back home.

On Tuesday, he picked the child up again and took her to a secluded area in Turure Village where he again began having sex with her in the car. Residents who spotted the car parked under a tree became curious when they noticed the vehicle shaking.

On closer inspection, they saw the reverend with the schoolgirl and quickly alerted the police.

Officers from the Sangre Grande police station arrived, interrupted the Reverend and arrested him.

The girl was taken to the Sangre Grande Hospital where medical checks revealed her pregnant state. She was unaware of being with child. Officers from the TT Police Service’s Child Protection Unit (CPU) and officials of the Children’s Authority were contacted by police. The girl’s parents were also called in. Constable Mahabir of the CPU is continuing investigations along with detectives from the Sangre Grande CID.

Police sources said that the child showed police and CPU officers the content of her Facebook account which revealed a sequence of messages, posts and photos – some very suggestive – which the reverend shared with the child. The girl is receiving counselling from officers of the Police Service’s Victims Support Unit. Police said that when the neighbour is apprehended, he too could face criminal charges. Investigations are continuing.

Source: http://archives.newsday.co.tt/2016/12/03/caught-in-the-act/