CHILD MONTH: Child Abuse Rampant in Region. Our children must be protected.

-
One Caribbean Nation.


From our very inception, the Mahogany Coconut Group, has placed considerable emphasis on the abuse of our women, children, and the elderly in our region. As some countries celebrate Child Month, we must once more state that child abuse and other crimes against children are rampant in many of our societies.

In keeping with our philosophy of One Caribbean Nation state, we will not identify any country as the main culprit. Suffice it to say that a crime committed against one child in our region, is a crime against all our children.

Many of the laws pertaining to the abuse and exploitation of children are bordering on the archaic, even when they are “modernized”. Our research of  rape cases and other atrocities against minors, indicate that the legal system allows several years to elapse before trials of this nature are heard. We are also alarmed that consensual sex is the defense of choice in these matters.

Legally, there really cannot be any consensual sex between an adult and a minor. Such acts are deemed statutory rape and we should not allow, skillful attorneys, to use consensual sex as a defense in such cases.

We are also concerned that in many of our jurisdictions, those accused of perpetuating such sordid acts against our children, can remain in the same homes, where the acts are said to have been committed. This is a travesty of monumental proportions.

While we stand steadfast that every accused person is considered innocent until proven guilty, we remain convinced that some escape serious judgement because too many cultural, socio-economic factors and politics, encroach upon the justice system. In other words, regional societies are still lagging in truly protecting our children from all kinds of abuse and exploitation.

It is a major blot on regional development.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Barbados Elections 2013 and Cash

-
Image
The Mahogany Coconut Group submits that the real vote buying is in the upper echelons of our society. What we witnessed on Election Day was some voters getting   cash, cell phones, IPods and a bill paid here and there. The real votes were bought by those shadows- black and white, - who Dr. Don Blackman referred to a few decades ago! Of course Dr. Blackman talked only about white shadows but the corporate landscape has dramatically changed over the years – we now have shadows of all colors and ethnicities. While we shout from the roof tops about what took place on elections day, we bury our heads in the proverbial sand, by refusing to ask one simple question: How did the two political parties, both claiming to be rather financially impoverished, raise a conservative estimate of over twenty million dollars to pour into a three week campaign? We ask Dale Marshall (BLP) to tell us about the successful “cake sales and car washes” that raised their money. We ask Ronald Jones (DLP) to t
Read more

International Women's Day : Our Caribbean Women, Our Hope

-
Image
One Caribbean Nation As we celebrate International Womens’ Day, we are cognizant of the role our Caribbean women have played in the cultural social and economic growth of our region and evolving Caribbean civilization. They , like our men , have risen from the depths and decadence of slavery , to the highest political and corporate ladders in the region. They have given birth, to millions and have made and continue to make significant contributions to those in the Diaspora. In many cases, where they were not the biological mothers, they nurtured, cared and developed those , who were deprived of parenthood , and socio-economic hope. They are in our classrooms, directing young and fragile minds , how to navigate a world that we in the region , must forever avoid being dragged into conflicts of the so-called super powers. They are pursuing all the opportunities of our tertiary educational institutions, including the University of the West Undies, often in higher numbers than our men. I
Read more