The Child Pro­tec­tion Unit (CPU) of the Trinidad and To­ba­go Po­lice Ser­vice (TTPS) is again urg­ing par­ents and guardians to play a greater, more ac­tive role in en­sur­ing their chil­dren’s safe­ty, as well as for the pub­lic to re­port in­stances of child phys­i­cal and sex­u­al abuse.

The re­newed ap­peal comes as four sus­pects are ex­pect­ed to ap­pear be­fore Rio Claro, San Fer­nan­do, Point Fortin and Scar­bor­ough Mag­is­trates, to­day, af­ter be­ing held for sex­u­al of­fences against chil­dren.

In the first in­ci­dent, a 24-year-old house­wife was ar­rest­ed by of­fi­cers of the East­ern Di­vi­sion CPU on one count of abuse of po­si­tion of trust and fa­mil­ial re­la­tion­ship, and one count of sex­u­al pen­e­tra­tion of a child.

The ac­cused who is ex­pect­ed to ap­pear be­fore a Rio Claro Mag­is­trate to an­swer.

In an­oth­er in­ci­dent, a 37-year-old labour­er, was ar­rest­ed by of­fi­cers of the South­ern Di­vi­sion CPU on two counts of sex­u­al pen­e­tra­tion of a 10-year-old fe­male vic­tim, which is al­leged to have oc­curred over a pe­ri­od of six months.

The male rel­a­tive is ex­pect­ed to an­swer to a San Fer­nan­do Mag­is­trate to­day.

In the South West­ern Di­vi­sion, a 25-year-old man was ar­rest­ed and charged for one count of sex­u­al pen­e­tra­tion of a 15-year-old fe­male vic­tim.

The sus­pect is ex­pect­ed to an­swer to a Point Fortin Mag­is­trate to­day.

And in the To­ba­go Di­vi­sion, a 28-year-old woman, who was held while in­tox­i­cat­ed in con­nec­tion with a re­port of phys­i­cal abuse to a two-year-old boy, has been charged for one count of wil­ful­ly as­sault­ing a child.

The woman is ex­pect­ed to ap­pear be­fore a Scar­bor­ough Mag­is­trate to­day.

The CPU is en­cour­ag­ing the pub­lic to help it ful­fil its man­date to pro­tect the na­tion’s chil­dren, by re­port­ing cas­es where chil­dren are be­ing hurt, both phys­i­cal­ly and sex­u­al­ly.

1. Par­ents and guardians are urged to call the Child Pro­tec­tion Sec­re­tari­at at 621-2588.

2. Any­one with in­for­ma­tion on child abuse should:

• Re­port it at the near­est po­lice sta­tion or via the TTPS App; or

• Con­tact the 24-hour hot­line for the Chil­dren’s Au­thor­i­ty, toll free, at 996 or 800-2014.