The teenage mother who exposed her breasts during San Fernando J'Ouvert celebrations says she will be keeping away from Carnival from now on.The mother of two, who recently turned 18, was reprimanded and discharged yesterday by San Fernando Sixth Court Magistrate Lisa Ramsumair-Hinds.She had pleaded guilty to a charge of wilfully and obscenely exposing herself in public, but sentence was deferred pending a probation officer's report.
Saying there was no need to record a conviction against her yesterday, however, Ramsumair-Hinds said she was satisfied that the teenager was heeding her advice to be independent, respectful and responsible."I learnt a lot. I learnt how to keep my body appropriate," the teenager told the magistrate yesterday.When she came before the court she was 17, unemployed, in a common-law relationship and did not even have an identification card.
She told the court then she was burnt as a child during a fire at her home. She also said she never went to secondary school because she got pregnant after sitting the Secondary Entrance Assessment (SEA) examination and has a son, who will celebrate his fourth birthday next month, and a daughter who turns two in November.So moved was the magistrate by her story then, that she asked the media not to name the teenager.
Yesterday, because of the magistrate's intervention, the teenager said she had rekindled her relationship with her mother, with whom she is now living. She said she had also obtained an ID card and will be signing up to learn a trade, either at Youth Training and Employment Partnership Programme (Ytepp) or Metal Industries Compnay Ltd (MIC). In addition, she is also considering taking part-time classes in mathematics and other subjects.
When the magistrate mentioned Carnival to her, she said: "I not studying Carnival."The magistrate explained that she was not discouraging her from participating in Carnival festivities, but urged, "When in public, keep your body appropriate."
She told the girl the way she dresses, speaks and even stands will determine the way people regard her. She said the teen had to set an example for her daughter by her actions and nothing was wrong with wanting to be a housewife, but she should not be completely dependent on someone else.Wishing her all the best, Ramsumair-Hinds said: "Since you have been before this court I have seen you develop. You have a certain degree of confidence."
Despite how difficult things might seem, the magistrate said the teen should continue to push forward.The teenager was represented by attorney Ainsley Lucky.