THE EDITOR:
THE United Nations resident co-ordinator for Trinidad and Tobago and the UNICEF representative, strongly condemn the recent buggery and murder of Sean Luke, the latest child victim of sexually-based crimes in TnT.

The UN expresses its deep concern at the upsurge in criminal activity involving children and that the acts themselves appear more gruesome in nature, resulting in the violation and death of a number of our children.

Trinidad and Tobago has signed the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), which outlines the responsibility of the State to protecting children from violence and ensures that they grow up in a protective environment.

The recent review by the CRC Committee in Geneva on progress towards the CRC called for an intensification of programmes to combat poverty and improve the social welfare system, thus reducing the vulnerability of children.

It also called on the Government of Trinidad and Tobago to address issues such as violence, corporal punishment and an effective redress mechanism for children who are victims of abuse.

The UN system, in response to the outcry and horror of Sean’s death, calls on government, NGOs, the private sector and all concerned citizens to urgently accelerate all actions and programmes to ensure that children can indeed be protected from abuse and violence.

This includes the passing of legislation to protect children; providing services and support for children and families who are victims of violence; increasing community awareness of how to transform conflict and prevent violence; making reporting mandatory for suspected cases of abuse and neglect for all professionals working for and with children; ensuring procedures, to receive, monitor and investigate complaints in a child sensitive manner; ensuring proper prosecution of perpetrators of child abuse and neglect; providing services for the physical and psychological recovery and social reintegration of children victims of sexual and other forms of abuse, neglect, ill-treatment, violence or exploitation and taking appropriate measures to prevent the criminalisation and stigmatisation of victims.

The greatest challenge is, however, to prevent children from being victims or perpetrators of violence and abuse.

Families, communities, teachers, concerned citizens all have a role to play in transforming TnT into an enabling environment for children and adolescents.

The UN, and UNICEF in particular, recognise the efforts by government and NGOs to provide a better world for children and reiterates its commitment to work alongside them to do whatever is necessary to reverse the spiral of violence and abuse against our children.

This means addressing the underlying causes of poverty, deprivation and violence and ensuring that adequate resources are allocated at all levels to face these challenges.

The UN family in TnT also wishes to express its deepest sympathies to Sean’s family and to the families of all those children who have been victims of violence and abuse.

Together we must unite for children, unite for peace.

THE EDITOR:
THE mother of the 13-year-old who is charged with killing Sean Luke has stated in a newspaper interview that “though her son has been out of school for a year and some months, it was not because he was a delinquent ‘drop-out’, but due to a learning disability and inability to read”.

That is not a reason for any child to be out of school and such a scenario can have a very negative effect on one’s self-esteem and behaviour.

The mother went on to say that her “son was a slow learner and because he had to remain in one class for a long time, other pupils heckled him”.

Once again, this can develop into a host of behavioural issues linked to negative self-image and a need for power and control within one’s life or over the life of another.

Children can be very cruel to others and given his learning disabilities one can only imagine how he internalised these instances of “heckling”.

The mother went on to state that “he is not a violent child, he would leave children to beat up on him because of the fact he likes to play with kids”.

It is quite possible that he is not functioning at the level of a 13-year-old and needs to have an assessment done on him ASAP.

Having children beat up on him because he likes to “play with kids” given what has been mentioned about his disability and corresponding self-esteem etc, must not be discounted for his acting out in such a brutal manner.

The mother recalled that “he asked to be taken out of the school and though she had found a special school for him, could not afford the fees.”

This is a failing of the State because no child should be left behind, due to a learning disability, and certainly at his age, he would have been missed from within the system and some appropriate placement should have been provided for him.

Under the Convention on the Rights of the Child this is the responsibility of the State, as special education is indeed costly.

This 13-year-old would have also required some self-esteem support, among other things.

The education system needs to look critically at these types of students and put in place the required systems as he represents many of the youth who are currently in conflict with the law.

Learning disabilities have been recognised over the years as a precursor to criminality if not positively addressed early on.

I am sure there are other circumstances that have lead to the grusome action of this young boy, but from this initial information any professional within the social services would agree that these are critical issues that must be addressed sooner than later.

Know love, know justice, know peace.

THE EDITOR:
GOVERNMENT says that it is going after the assets of the Muslimeen and its members for the $32 million in damages to State buildings.

Are we to suddenly believe that after giving this notorious group State contracts (NHA), control of the gang-ridden URP and CEPEP, and hundreds of millions of dollars in aggregate (also bought by the State) that it now wants to collect a mere $32 million?

Newspapers and TV have constantly exposed the hundreds of millions lost over a three-year period by people of the very same media identified as Muslimeen.

We were told of the “gang” members driving hundred thousand dollar cars with music and tyres to match.

Added to that, the government has publicly admitted it lost hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue from the illegal mining. Yet, after a couple of truckers were arrested and charged $100 the entire matter has been dropped as though it never existed ... even by the media.

What has happened to the investigations that were being undertaken by the Ministry of National Security?

And what has happened to the hundreds of millions of dollars?

If, as was being said by many, it was indeed the Muslimeen or others, then the State should be going after those funds rather than the mere $32 million.

Was there a deal to dole out hundreds of millions of State dollars to this gang and in order to facilitate them with the funds to repay the said State a paltry $32 million?

And, it is strange that our most rabble rousing group has suddenly become quiet.

I, for one, don’t believe it’s too late to go after these hundreds of millions of dollars.

It is also strange that PM Manning could not bring in foreign assistance (US and UK) until the Muslimeen was officially charged for incitement.

What took the government so long?

Were there not solutions aplenty from all quarters including NY’s Giuliani.

It was only after Bakr, Muslimeen leader, was jailed after a police-inspired raid did we even learn about foreign police help.

The government’s timing surely suggests the desire to show the international community that there was no complicity between the State and gangs in TnT.

Will the Yardies’ terms of reference allow them to investigate the rape of our treasury or just to work with the Special Anti-Crime Unit of Trinidad and Tobago (SAUTT)?

It is convenient that they are restricted to anti-crime measures judging from the unit they are attached to, under the leadership of Brigadier Joseph and Minister Martin Joseph and not under the far reaching authority of the CoP?

Did someone say that the Opposition was hoodwinked again into supporting the new government police authority?

THE EDITOR:
TO call it as it is or shelter under ambiguous phrases and rhetoric; that is the question that most politicians face when evaluating issues that affect us daily.

Leaders who proclaim their love for country and our people weigh the effect of their honest opinion versus the possible lack of financial and other support that may result from standing up for what one perceives to be right.

This is the dilemma that many political parties face today in dealing with the ALCOA issue.

A position against the erection of the smelter plants by the media can be seen as anti-government and this can cost them lucrative advertising contracts and other concessions controlled by the State.

Such a position by politicians can be seen as anti-big business and can negatively impact the contributions so necessary for political campaigns. So, consequently, the politicians and the media bury their moral compasses and steer clear of anything controversial. The result is the domination of persons or groups seeking self-interest and the continued decline in the quality of life for our citizens.