Don’t honour child abusers

10.MAY.11

EDITOR: St. Vincent and the Grenadines top off the month marking Child Abuse Awareness and Prevention by honouring “three convicted child abusers.”{{more}}

Jemark Jackson was someone’s child. From news accounts he was only 15 years old when Police Officers [Kasanki] Quow, [Hadley] Ballantyne and [Osrick] James, viciously beat and brutalized him. The three were tried and found guilty; yet without even an apology to Jackson or his family, the state virtually says “in your face.”

Ministers [Frederick] Stephenson and Girlyn Miguel and Director of Family Affairs Cammie Mathews did the annual thing of holding a press conference at the start of the month, calling for a stop to child abuse. But, what are the criteria for protection? Are poor people’s children included? How about those “young punks” running around town playing men; are they included? Your theme was ‘Inspiring families through positive change for a better society’. Do you see this action by Commissioner [Keith] Miller as inspiring positive change in the society of Vincentian families?

If the intention behind the April campaign was not simply to generate some positive press, then conscience dictates that you at least lift your voice and say all children deserve protection, no matter their economic or class status. What these officers did amounted to child abuse and they ought not to be a part of the protective force. We need to be protected from them.

Miller and company must keep in mind that these types of actions dampen respect for authority. People will build up anger and resentment and some may even gear for “vigilante justice”. This act of public corruption should embarrass us all. Yesterday, was Jemark Jackson, who will it be tomorrow?



SP Haynes