BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – “PERSONS in power must demonstrate the will to address the issue of child sexual abuse. If we keep on burying our heads in the sand like ostriches, then the situation will only get worse.”
These are the words of Her Excellency Ambassador Rosalyn Hazelle, a staunch advocate and activist for child rights within the Federation. For years she has lobbied for stricter child abuse legislation. However, lawmakers and the Royal St. Christopher-Nevis Police Force have yet to heed her call.
Hazelle’s biggest pet peeve is what she perceives as the law’s failure to fully protect children, pointing to the ability of parents of abuse victims to withdraw cases as an example. The Ambassador has long campaigned for legislative amendments to correct this deficiency.
“Nobody has the right to rob a child of his or her innocence. When that happens, the state must step up to the plate and deal with it. Parents have to understand there’s a responsibility - a crime was committed against your child. They cannot be allowed to just back off.
“We keep on addressing these issues as though it’s me versus you as opposed to me the perpetrator versus the state. If you break into my house, it becomes larceny or theft – then it’s the state against you. How is it when it comes to human damage the same method doesn’t apply?” she asked.
Hazelle also directed criticism towards the criminal justice system, noting “there are laws on the books, but the reality is the implementation”. She stressed that law enforcement agencies need to ensure persons are not allowed to opt out of the process whenever they please.
With the imminent launch of the National Child Protection Protocol by the Ministry of Social and Community Development, there is hope that some of the diplomat’s concerns will be addressed. According to Maurice Williams, Director of Probation and Child Protection Services within that Ministry, the protocol would tackle several nagging issues that have plagued his department for years.
“For instance, mandatory reporting of child abuse cases has been legislated since 1994. There are certain professionals such as doctors and teachers who are mandated to inform us of cases of child sexual abuse which they are aware of. But this has not been happening and I think it is because there are no sanctions for failure to report. The protocol is seeking to establish sanctions for persons who do not,” he revealed.
But most importantly, the Protocol would regulate and establish procedures for local child protection agencies, which would then be held accountable to its guidelines for reporting, investigating, judicial involvement and victim treatment. Williams thinks these measures would go a long way towards restoring faith in the system, which he believes would encourage persons to report and follow through on child abuse cases.
Although the Director agreed with Hazelle’s assertion that parents of child abuse victims should be barred from discontinuing cases, he was pessimistic that amendments would be made anytime soon.
“It’s a very ticklish issue, and maybe one the government would not want to tackle during an election year. Parents may feel as though we’re infringing on their rights as parents, when, really, what we’re doing is ensuring the safety of their children,” said Williams.
Hazelle welcomed news of the Protocol’s imminent launch and offered advice on the way forward for the government and society at large. She noted that human development had not been as progressive or sustained as economic development, and warned of the consequences if this practice continues.
“More recognition needs to be placed on human development. Maybe we should look at how we present Career Day so we can produce more counsellors and social workers. There is a real value to having those kinds of skills and a real need for them. We continue to build our society in terms of infrastructure and the economy and ignore the social and human development.”
She added, “It amounts to constructing a building without the foundation. We’re putting a bandage on wounds that need to be sutured. We all know child abuse happens, but we can’t be bothered to demonstrate the political, social and economic will to stop it. Sooner or later, we will see society going to hell in a hand-basket because we are not addressing the issues.”
