Child abuse Legislation being put into place

Legislation is currently being reviewed by the Attorney General, which will further strengthen the fight to prevent abuse and protect children in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, as well as the rest of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States.{{more}}

This revelation was made by Minister of National Development, Mobilization, Social Development, Youth and Sport Mike Browne, as he officially declared Child Abuse and Prevention Month open on Monday.

Minister Browne indicated that the four pieces of Legislation were put together to deal with problems that generally affect the OECS, and are carefully being scrutinized before being passed into Law.

“We have studied them and they have been subjected to a lot of consultations throughout the region, including St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and we have sent them up to the Attorney General so that the process can move forward as expeditiously as possible.”

Browne said that the first piece of Legislation covers the status of children, which calls for children to be given equal treatment, regardless if they were born out of wedlock or not.

“In short, there must no longer be a distinction between so called legitimate and so called illegitimate children.”

The second piece of Legislation refers to the care and adoption of children, and what procedures and support need to be put in place.

Child Justice addresses the identification of children who are at risk before they enter the justice system, and what measures should be taken in the event that they do enter the system.

The fourth – Domestic Violence looks at ways spousal abuse negatively affects children, and measures to assist those that are affected by it.

According to Browne, the legislation forms a combination that once accepted will strengthen the position of the child, women and society on a whole.

“We want these legislations to take root in our society so that it could buttress and support what we are talking about here today- the prevention of abuse and the defence of the rights of the child.”

Child Abuse Prevention and Awareness Month runs from April 1st to 30th.

A motorcade is scheduled to proceed from the Arnos Vale Sports Complex this afternoon, with other events slated to take place throughout the month.

The theme for the month is ‘Awareness Through Networking to Prevent Child Abuse.’(JJ)