A UK report that contains critical information on a wide range of children’s issues and a strategic plan to deal with them appears to have fallen into a black hole at the Ministry of Health Services.
With the public outcry over recent high-profile child rape cases, top officials within the Child and Family Services Department are calling for immediate action to be taken on this report, which addresses these issues from a multiple agency approach. It was submitted to the Health Ministry 19 months ago.
Child report collects |
‘I know people are upset about those young children who were raped,’ says Child and Family Services Director Deanna Look Loy, adding that with public awareness at a high level this is the good time to implement the multiple strategies outlined in the report, which can only be done at the Ministry level.
Since early 2007, Look Loy has repeatedly requested by letter that the Health Ministry implement this report, but to date she hasn’t received a reply.
Phone calls and emails from Cayman Free Press to the Chief Officer and Minister of Health Services have not been returned.
‘This report clearly identifies what strategies are needed to be put in place to take care of the needs of the child from a holistic perspective on a short term and long term basis,’ says Child and Family Services Debbie Webb-Sibblies. ‘And because it requires involvement from multiple agencies it can’t be implemented on a piecemeal basis.’
Called the Risk and Vulnerability Facing Children, the report was initiated by the UK for all Overseas Territories.
Those reports were then submitted to the United Nations as part of the UK’s commitment to comply with its Rights of the Child Convention across its territories.
The report required multiple agencies to submit data on the needs and issues facing children in the Cayman Islands, which included education, health, housing, family supervision, safety and child crime. It also included a strategic plan on how to deal with the various issues facing children, including child abuse.
Last September, Caribbean countries were asked to provide a status on implementing its strategic plans on its Risk and Vulnerability Facing Children Report at a convention. Those countries included Turks and Caicos, Anguilla, BVI and Bermuda. Cayman had no choice but to report that no action has taken place since it was submitted to the Ministry in March 2007.
Official statistics on child abuse and neglect show a gradually upward trend over the years. In the last eight years, reports of neglect have fluctuated from 13 to 29, while child abuse has ranged from a low of 15 to a high of 42. Within the child abuse type, sexual and physical abuse account for the bulk of the reports.
With two months left to go in 2008, there are 23 reports of child neglect and 25 for child abuse. And while these numbers are alarming, it is highly likely the real incidence of child abuse and neglect is still significantly under-reported, explained Look Loy. However, public awareness campaigns in the last couple years may have started to changed things around so that more people are coming forward to report child abuse and neglect.
“Child abuse is a terrible thing to do to a child but we also see a lot of cases of child neglect, which can be very detrimental.
‘Every day, I see children waiting on the side of the street all over the place. We don’t know what could happen to them without adult supervision. Where are their parents,’ Look Loy asked.
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