Nowhere safe for Ja’s kids! – Children being s*xually assaulted in schools, JUTC buses, churches &
More than 40 allegations of s*xual abuse at schools were reported to the Office of the Children’s Advocate (OCA) in the first nine months of this year.
In addition, the OCA received 120 allegations of children being physically abused, 23 cases of emotional abuse, and 53 allegations of neglect of duties, from inside the nation’s schools.
That is according to the latest incidents report from the OCA, which underscores the myriad problems facing Jamaica’s children.
The report shows two allegations of children being s*xually abused on Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) buses, two allegations of s*xual abuse taking place in churches, and two allegations of children being s*xually abused in children’s homes or places of safety.
According to the OCA, at least two policemen, two churchmen, the operators of two children’s homes and one JUTC employee were reported for their involvement in child s*xual abuse cases.
The Investigations Unit of the OCA is also probing members of the Child Development Agency (CDA) in relation to two of the 119 cases of child s*xual abuse reported since January.
“In the two instances where the CDA is concerned, the children were abused while under the supervision of the CDA. One was in foster care when the allegations surfaced,” said Keisha Rodriques-Mills, director of investigations at the OCA.
“The other child was removed from one home and placed into another home by CDA when the abuse took place. We investigate the action of CDA as well as the abuse of the child,” added Rodriques-Mills.
In the meantime, Children’s Advocate Diahann Gordon Harrison is lamenting that in many instances, perpetrators of child s*xual abuse walk free as their victims are afraid to come forward and give formal statements.
“If you live in a home and you have neither mother nor father and you depend on these people for food, for toiletries, for school, then you are going to be fearful,” said Gordon Harrison.
This Article is very truthful! When yu see children who inna Grade 4 affe a walk wid a ratchet knife fe a protect demself, dat bad; and some sick MaddaFuqqer who get sexually aroused (both in foreign and JA) when dem see an infant naked, and sexually molest dem, yow!!!!! mi vex fe dat!!!!!!…and gunshots a bark night and day. Mi nah tell no lies, mi really sorry fe nuff of de children of this generation, because tings different fe dem now!
This is so disheartening especially if we knew the exact numbers of unreported abuse cases.
We need better laws n investment in our social services n criminal justice system (esp the police,dpp,jurysystem) to make a dent in this epidemic cycle.
Start by making it a capital punishment offense to molest under 17yo.Rapists should get 25-life or ideally the hangman noose!!
I nuh hab a ting fi seh cause di vast majority of di ppl dem in di country nuh care. Fi di high level of religiosity you think dem would care bout di weak and helpless, but mi done come to the conclusion seh fi di most part is life as usual fi dem. All when di kids dem a commit suicide younger and younger it nuh move dem, it easier fi just blame Satan and keep it pushing.
May the advocates continue to fight the battle and may the affected ones find the strength to overcome in this wicked world.