I believe the children are our future
Teach them well and let them lead the way
Show them all the beauty they possess inside
Give them a sense of pride to make it easier
Let the children’s laughter remind us how we used to be.
(Whitney Houston)
Thirteen-year-old Mariah Seenath should have been alive today. She should have been in school, laughing with her friends, playing football. Instead, she is another name added to the growing list of children murdered in T&T. Every time a child is killed, we grieve publicly for a few days, we quarrel on social media, we demand justice but then we move on, we forget—until the next tragedy occurs.
Mariah did not just die because of an act of violence; she died because the systems meant to protect her are weak, and because too many adults in her life failed her. Her death has again shown the reality of how little we value and protect our children.
We tend to say that children are resilient but sadly, too many children are asked (and forced) to carry burdens that no child should have to bear. Throughout T&T, there are thousands of children living in broken homes where parents are more concerned about their own relationships and conflicts than with the welfare of their children.
How many children are caught in the middle of toxic relationships? How many are used as pawns by parents who are always trying to punish each other? How many are dragged into quarrels and custody battles that scar them for life? There are adults who use their children to get back at their exes, who force their children to ‘carry news’ back and forth and who make children the centre of their arguments and fights. There are adults who knowingly enter relationships with partners who already have children but then later resent or resist the time and attention those children require. There are parents who regularly change partners, who move from one relationship to another, without consideration for their children’s feelings and safety. Ultimately, Trinbagonians think that children should toughen up and deal with whatever comes their way.
There are too many cases where children are forced to step into the roles of mothers and fathers because their parents are not responsible enough to take care of them. At Carnival time, it is normal to see older children carrying the responsibility of younger ones while parents disappear for days and nights. Leaving children with grandparents and relatives who cannot care for them is now the norm. There is nothing wrong with chores, with children helping out and learning responsibility. However, there is a big difference between helping and being left to carry the full weight of childcare because the adults have abdicated their roles.
We need to understand that neglect is not only about leaving a child hungry. Neglect comes in many forms—physical, psychological and emotional. A child can be neglected when parents are too caught up in their own lives and fail to spend quality time with their children. Neglect occurs where parents focus on their own desires above the child’s needs. It is neglect when children are left unsupervised for long hours, when they are deprived of love and attention. In any form, its long-term effect can be devastating.
The impact of poor parenting is visible daily in the classrooms and the community. Many children growing up without stable and loving homes often struggle with low self-esteem, find it difficult to trust others and suffer from mental health issues. Many children suffer in silence, are afraid to speak out or just don’t trust other adults, thus making it difficult for adults in supporting roles, such as teachers and guidance counsellors, to help them.
Legally and theoretically, there are structures in place to protect children in T&T. Realistically, these structures are weak. The Children’s Authority, the main agency which has “the responsibility for the care and protection of children, especially those who are at risk or have been victims of abuse or neglect,” must be strengthened. It cannot continue as another government agency with a name and a budget but without the compassion, leadership and infrastructure needed to truly safeguard children. Too many children are slipping through the cracks because their cases are not taken seriously and because the people tasked with protecting them are indifferent or overwhelmed.
A couple of years ago, I called Children’s Authority about an autistic child who was left with an elderly grandparent who was clearly unable to care for him. The response I received was depressing: “Maybe the child just have to get accustomed to being with the grandparent.”
How can this be an acceptable answer when the child’s safety and well-being was at risk? This kind of attitude is not protecting; it is negligence. Investigations into neglect and abuse must be thorough and urgent. Every report must be treated as a life and death situation because that is exactly what it could become. For this to happen, the Children’s Authority need more manpower, resources and funding.
Mariah’s death should not be just another murder that we mourn and forget. We must demand accountability from parents and impose stiffer penalties for adults who neglect children in their care. If we don’t act soon, Mariah will not be the last child to be buried too soon. She will simply be one more reminder of our national shame—that in our country, children are unsafe because of adults who are too selfish, too careless, too irresponsible or too indifferent to protect them. Mariah deserved better. Every child deserves better. Will we finally care enough to make their lives better?