The Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Education, Chandler Hyacinth, has revealed the challenges of working with parents over child abuse cases. The PS stated that her ministry gets several cases of child molestation cases than are announced in the media, and that the government takes these cases very seriously.
She stated that the Ministry of Education works closely with relevant organizations such as police authorities, the Social Welfare Department, and education counselors to help victims of child abuse as well as their immediate families. According to Hyacinth, there are school counselors all over the country to assist victims of abuse in primary and secondary schools as well as friends of such victims.
The perm sec disclosed that to help students understand the challenges related to their social welfare, they are taught Health and Family Life as a subject in their various schools. She said teachers are able to sensitize students on the dynamics of domestic and community as well as family abuse through the school subject. She added that students and parents will also be encouraged to report cases to relevant authorities through what the subject teaches.
So we do our best, We have to work with the police, and we want to encourage the parents to work with the police as well; work with the Welfare Department; and work with the schools, because the school systems cannot work on their own. Many times too, we need the community support.
Chandler Hyacinth, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health
The education official equally tasked parents against placing their children in situations that can expose them to sexual and domestic abuse. She warned that all parents must take responsibility for their wards and ensure they are not placed in situations where they could be exploited by anyone, including extended family members.
Meanwhile, the Acting Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Sherma Dalrymple, said that her office has succeeded in securing convictions for all rape cases handled through her office. She emphasized that 100% of the rape cases her office has handled in the last two years went on to the High Court and the rapists or molesters jailed in all the cases. She urged parents and victims to step forward to report abuse cases so that they can get justice and a sense of closure over the way they are molested.
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