Lee Anna Maharaj
leeanna.maharaj@guardian.co.tt
Activist and former senator, Diana Mahabir-Wyatt, says the Government does not care about the children of the nation, as evident in recent cases of crime where children have been the main casualties.
This follows an incident on Friday, where a 13-year-old boy was stabbed in the eye while trying to protect his mother from an attacker.
Less than 48 hours later, six-year-old Kylie Meloney was murdered when gunmen stormed her Sangre Grande home.
Speaking to Guardian Media on Tuesday, Mahabir-Wyatt said organisations such as the Children’s Authority of T&T cannot fulfil their mandate due to a lack of resources. She said that the Government only prioritises funding for what they deem as important.
“The Government is prioritising what Dr Rowley feels is important, or what the head of the Government feels is important. They have to allocate their resources toward those that are going to keep them in power. The responsibility as they see it when they get elected to power is to keep on being given the power so that they can continue to carry out their projects in the areas they think are important and will keep them in power. I don’t think children vote, and I don’t think children are regarded as priorities,” she said.
Mahabir-Wyatt also said the authority is severely underfunded and understaffed, which prevents them from dealing with crimes against children.
She said, “The Children’s Authority has had their budget cut at least four times, and I think it’s because the Government does not care enough about what happens to children and we are seeing the results of that every day. When you try to call the Children’s Authority, they are understaffed. So, like other forms of crime in Trinidad and Tobago, the people who are abusing children, neglecting children, and not fulfilling their responsibilities to children as parents or as relatives, are getting away with it, as people are getting away with other crimes. But the number of children who die every year, they are not all dying because of domestic violence, or parental violence in some cases, they’re dying because of gang warfare.:
Mahabir-Wyatt added that there is a gang culture in Trinidad, which she says can be combatted with mentorship programmes.
“You have gangs that are providing this sort of guidance to young people that’s inadequate. Young men need the guidance of men and you do see the occasional notice about men in communities getting together and becoming a mentor to youngsters in boys’ schools, which is what they need, but we don’t have enough of that. We don’t have enough men offering to be role models and healthy role models to fatherless boys,” she said.
Another activist, Marcus Kissoon, shared similar sentiments with Mahabir-Wyatt.
Speaking on CNC3’s The Morning Brew on Tuesday, Kissoon said an important crime-preventative measure is fathers being present and nurturing their sons.
“Really and truly, what we’re asking for, is to do what our grandmothers and mothers have been doing, which is nurturing and caring for young people. Particular groups, including groups with men and boys, have lost that sense of connecting and connecting with the youth and connecting with children. You know, we have to as men, we have to move away from just marking our masculine identity with just having children, but by really being involved and I’m not denying the fact that there are men who are involved, but those are not the ones who are shooting and stabbing, right?” Kissoon said.
In a release , the Children’s Authority of T&T also expressed concern about the increase in violent crimes against children.
They offered condolences to the family and friends of Maloney and added that they intended to pay a visit to the 13-year-old who is now hospitalized.
“The authority is very concerned about the alarming and increasing trend of violence affecting children. Many children have suffered injuries, loss of life, abuse and neglect, as a result of violent acts committed against them by adults or among adults. As a society, we must make all efforts to protect children, reduce their risk of exposure to violence, and other dangerous situations. While this vigilance is the primary responsibility of parents and caregivers, we need to use the entire village of trusted adults (parents, relatives, and teachers) to ensure that child protection is everybody’s business,” the authority stated.
Meanwhile, the head of the TTPS Gender-Based Violence Unit (GBVU) Senior Supt Clair Guy-Alleyne, acknowledged that the Police Service has seen an increase in child casualties of crime. Guy-Alleyne was speaking on CNC3’s 7 PM news and called on communities to create safe spaces for children because the criminal elements no longer care.
“We are asking for parents to parent internationally, and when we say that we need to protect our children. Child Protection is everyone’s business. Once you are a parent, you must look at who you are socialising with, you must be aware of the surroundings you’re taking your children in because child protection is critical. The entire nation needs to protect our children, and we need to create safe spaces for children,” she said.
Guy-Alleyne also urged the public to report criminal activities they are aware of to the TTPS.
Reports of crime, child abuse, and violence against children, can be made via the Police Service at 999, or 996 for the Children’s Authority.
