THE EDITOR:
WE have cremated yet another son who has been buggered and murdered.

We remember Sean Luke, Dane Andrews, Akeil Chambers and many others who go unnamed.

As psychologists, we interact on a regular basis with children who have been sexually abused by adults ... unfortunately, often a trusted adult … a parent, a grandparent, a priest, a pastor, a teacher, a police officer and the list can go on.

But the national anguish is even greater when a child is brutally victimised at the hands of another child.

As psychologists, we listen with keen interest, the cries by an angry community for the child perpetrators of Sean Luke to be hanged.

Know this.

When a minor commits a crime of this horrific nature there is an adult involved, either as a direct abuser or indirectly through pornographic or violent movies, magazines or on the internet.

Children do not create such horrible crimes in a vacuum.

They usually are the result of traumatic experiences or exposure to evil.

Ask any adult who has been sexually abused as a child.

The emotional scars go deep and the wounds take long to heal.

And the sexually abused in our society are many.

It is a silent epidemic, more widespread than we care to admit.

But in our country, we are more interested in laying blame than exposing this deadly secret.

We want to distance ourselves from the “monsters” who commit these crimes.

We decide that once you are of a different race, a different religion, of a different parentage or live in a different neighbourhood, you are not like us, therefore, we distance ourselves from you.

That way we can hang the “monsters,” pour salve on our disgust and absolve ourselves from responsibility.

Such denial or flawed thinking is what keeps incest, molestation, rape, buggery or other sexually abusive actions on children, alive and well. In Trinidad and Tobago, we have interwoven sexual abuse of children into the very fabric of some of our local communities, extended families and even some of our religious practices.

These abusive actions are sanctioned by the deafening silence.

How many times have the police been prevented from making an arrest because we chose to look the other way and protect our own?

How many family members tolerate these violations and let them continue in exchange for money, material possessions and financial security?

It is time to lift the veil of secrecy.

How can we do this?

Here are some suggestions:

* Obey the law.

The Sexual Offenses Act indicates that any person who has responsibility for a minor for any period of time (teacher, guardian, counsellor, parent, Sunday School teacher, scout leader, etc.) who suspects that the child has been sexually abused, is obligated to make a report to the police or face charges (a fine or jail term).

* Bring back the community police.

It is easier to expose abuse when the police are a familiar part of the community.

* Social services, CBOs and NGOs must be available in every community, especially our rural communities, where these services are scarce.

Service delivery in the form of education and counselling are invaluable in raising consciousness and in empowerment.

Remember, these groups need our financial support.

Some are facing imminent closure because of a lack of funds.

It is time to “put our money where our mouth is!”

* It is time to form community groups.

We cannot “lift the veil” alone.

We need to be connected to each other.

Yes, it takes a village.

Truly there is strength in numbers.

Religious groups, schools, PTAs, civic organisations must gather to share information and build safer communities.

* Use your political power. We need a public register of all individuals convicted of sexual offenses so we can protect our children and make informed decisions.

* Our mass media are largely uncensored and they’re becoming more and more sexually charged.

Television, cable, radio, internet, movie theatres, newspapers, magazines, music, all have a powerful impact on our children.

Demand that they clean up their act.

* Stay connected to our children.

Pay attention to them.

Children, who have a positive relationship with their parents, teachers or other caregivers, are more likely to disclose when something is wrong.

Yet, threats made by perpetrators can silence a child.

Here, parents and teachers’ observations are key.

An observant or attentive parent or teacher will be able to tell that all is not well with a child.

* Do not quickly dismiss a child’s worries or concerns about a particular person or place as nonsense.

Validate your child and give support.

Reassure your child of your protection.

Then keep watch to see if the child’s views are accurate and if you have to intervene.

The well-being of our country lies in the hands of every citizen.

Let us “lift the veil” together.

THE EDITOR:
THERE is a lot of hypocrisy surrounding the protests against industrial development in south Trinidad.

I am from Cap-de-Ville and I went to the recent march and there were so many people from outside the area.

Imagine a well-known councillor left Mayaro and came to Chatham to protest against pollution.

He passed all the polluted beaches and oilspills in his own backyard to come and tell us to stop industrial development.

People came from Port of Spain to protest against damaging the environment.

They passed by a natural mangrove swamp that has been destroyed to make way for MovieTowne, Pricesmart and the Marriott Hotel.

They travelled all the way to Cedros ad Chatham to show how much they love the environment.

I want to tell all of them that when they stop the pollution and damage in their own backyards then they could come down south and talk to us.

A lot of us are not into agriculture and we want well-paid jobs just like the rest of Trinidad.

We want to drive BMWs and live in air-condition comfort.

While I was at the march, someone told me to check out a website called “nosmettertnt” for the facts.

It is a waste of time and is full of political bias, racism and bacchanal.

This is a piece from someone writing on the same website:

“Everyone here is only talking and talking.

“Point Fortin is a PNM stronghold and you people are so stupid and backward that you will all vote for PNM even though they are killing you in the end just because you want a n....r to be the PM.”

Here is another one: “At Chatham Junction we meet up with the demonstrators.

“They have come from all corners of the country to voice their outrage and to show solidarity with the people of Peninsula. The march begins just after 10 o’clock.

“We talk as we walk, introduce ourselves, answer the same questions a few dozen times: Where allyuh come from? Quite Port of Spain?

“The mood is upbeat and positive.

“We will stop ALCOA. They cannot come here.”

In their own words, these protesters are admitting that they came from all corners of the country to “voice their outrage”.

But they don’t have to come down south to voice outrage against pollution and environmental damage.

They could voice it from their mansions that are destroying the hillsides of Maraval and Diego Martin.

They could voice while visiting MovieTowne or Pricesmart. And they could voice it from their luxury cars while travelling to work at Point Lisas.

If they are so concerned about pollution and the environment, let them take out their money from any bank that is supporting the same industrial developments.

Let them refuse to accept contracts, donations and jobs from companies that pollute the environment.

They will never do that because they are too busy enjoying the fruits of industrial development.

We in the deep south want the same thing.

THE EDITOR:
I WOULD like to tender this response to clear up some misconceptions identified within an article appearing in the Trinidad Guardian entitled “TnT not major drug trans-shipment point”.

To begin with, the given title of the article seems to imply that Trinidad and Tobago plays a minimal role in the trans-shipment of drugs.

This clearly undermines the gravity of our country’s drug problem.

The author did not properly read and verify the information contained in the International Narcotics Control Strategy Report (INCSR) released by the US State Department on March 2, 2006, from which the premise of the article was derived.

The article states that the present INCSR declares that TnT was not considered to be a major trans-shipment point for illegal narcotics (primarily cocaine, marijuana and also heroin) bound for markets in the US and Europe.

This is not entirely true.

Though we may not be considered a major trans-shipment point, a key portion of the increased flow of illegal drugs and guns is finding its way here, and constitutes an additional challenge for law enforcement.

A close study of the report will reveal that it stated that Trinidad and Tobago is a trans-shipment point for illicit drugs, but is not a major drug producing country.

Even with a rudimentary study of this statement, one would find that this is in keeping with the address of the Minister of National Security at the 2005/2006-Budget debate in October 2005.

Minister Joseph highlighted a number of reasons for the rise in criminal activity in our country, one being that TnT was indeed a trans-shipment point between the drug producing countries and its consumers in the US and Europe.

The Minister of National Security clearly stated that discussions with our international partners have indicated that the Southern and Eastern Caribbean, including TnT, could expect to see increased levels of drug transshipment.

This is due to the effects of Plan Colombia and the joint UK-Jamaica anti-trafficking programme in Jamaica, which are resulting in increased displacement and redirection of drug trafficking.

Trinidad and Tobago’s strategic location between the major producers in the south and consuming nations in the north makes this country particularly vulnerable.

The 2006 INCSR goes on to praise the current Government of TnT for its continued co-operation with the US on counter narcotics issues and the allocation of significant resources to fight against illegal drugs.

It said that in 2005, the TnT Government, via the National Drug Council, has implemented a number of elements of the counter narcotics master plan, which addresses both supply and demand reduction.

The report further highlighted a number of accomplishments by the Ministry of National Security, including the purchasing of new technology to help combat drug flow and crime and the use of training to make our police officers more efficient in coping with the country’s crime problem.

It is apparent that the Ministry of National Security continues to work extensively to relieve our nation of one of the major causes of crime.

Why then don’t we allow them some time so that their crime initiatives concerning drugs trans-shipment can blossom and bear fruit?

The government has assured us that it will continue to identify and remedy the factors that combine to create the cadre of men and women who make it their business to subject law abiding citizens to acts of crime, fear and terror.

I would appreciate if you would give this response some prominence in your newspaper so that it would benefit the entire public.