Topic: child abuse
Child rapist George Slijper sentenced to 14 years in jail
A Grand Court judge has jailed child rapist George Martin Slijper, who contacted and groomed young girls over social media platforms, to 14 years in prison.
Delays lead to reduction in child sex abuse sentence
A man convicted of sexually abusing a young girl over several years has had his sentence reduced because of long delays in his trial and sentencing, which led him to being under curfew and on an electronic monitor for more than four years.
New helpline for would-be sex offenders
Cayman's Red Cross is seeking to take steps to prevent child sexual abuse before it happens by creating a special hotline for would-be offenders to get help before they act on any sexual thoughts.
Child-safeguarding referrals hit a record 1,400 in 2021
Child-safeguarding referrals continued an upward trend, crossing the 1,400 mark for 2021, almost 300 reports more than the previous year's total of 1,146, and the highest since these statistics started being collected in 2017.
Red Cross calls for mandatory child-protection training
Cayman Islands Red Cross deputy director Carolina Ferreira has called for mandatory child-protection training for all service groups interacting with children.
Defendant in child burial case appears in court
Travis Jarrel Webb, who is charged with attempted murder and cruelty to a child in relation to a 3-year-old who was allegedly buried alive in November 2018, appeared in Grand Court on Friday.
Cayman participates in international congress on child abuse prevention
Three Cayman voices rose as one last month to bring attention to the epidemic of child abuse and neglect in the Caribbean and in the wider world.
New law targets child predators
Tough new laws to tackle sex offenders who “groom” children using cellphones and social media were passed Wednesday.
Cayman agency presents at international conference
Protection Starts Here, Cayman’s grassroots multi-agency child abuse prevention team, recently became the first Caribbean group to host a workshop at the International Symposium on Child Abuse.
Cayman agencies to attend US child abuse forum
Seven government agencies and independent organizations from the Cayman Islands that work to help combat child abuse will be represented at an international forum in the United States next month.
Local group asked to speak on child abuse
A Cayman Islands group has been invited to speak at the 34th International Symposium on Child Abuse, March 19-22, in Huntsville, Alabama.
‘Victim blaming’ a concern in child abuse cases
Victim blaming risks legitimizing predators and makes sex crimes against children much more difficult to investigate, senior detectives and child safety advocates have warned.
EDITORIAL – Byrne demonstrates leadership in wake of RCIPS child abuse errors
Notably, the commissioner did not try to bury the critical report or send out an insipid press release late on a Friday afternoon; instead he called a news conference where, flanked by his top commanders, he took ownership of the issues, pledged to make needed improvements – and apologized to victims.
Commissioner: RCIPS ‘must accept’ its failures in child abuse cases
Overall mismanagement, rather than specific individual officers’ failures, was the primary reason a number of child sexual abuse cases investigated by local police will never get to court, Royal Cayman Islands Police Service Commissioner Derek Byrne said Friday.
Child abuse prevention talk draws interest
A talk on preventing child abuse in sports drew an interested Brac audience earlier this month keen to learn more about this important issue. A delegation from the Ministry of Community Affairs, Youth and Sports traveled to Cayman Brac to kick off the first in a series of child abuse prevention training sessions.
Child abuse prevention measures extended to sports groups
The Ministry of Community Affairs, Youth and Sports has unveiled amendments to the Child Law, intended to extend additional protections to young athletes. The policy outlines how to recognize abuse, how to respond to instances, and methods to report transgressions.
Officers still face inquiry over ‘incompetent’ child abuse investigation
Three police officers are still facing an internal disciplinary inquiry over an investigation into allegations of sexual abuse by an 11-year-old girl. The inquiry has been inexplicably sidelined for 18 months. The RCIPS announced last week that a U.K. team has been recruited to review and reform the Family Support Unit.
Hedge Funds Care gala helps at-risk children
Hedge Funds Care Cayman, committed to helping parents and treating child abuse and neglect, held its gala at the new Kimpton Seafire Resort on Saturday night.
EDITORIAL – Child sex abuse: Investigating the police investigation
Governor Kilpatrick has spoken with clarity, authority and righteousness. It’s an auspicious beginning to an arduous process of truth-seeking.
Governor’s Office responds to child abuse editorial
The Child Safeguarding Board was not established in response to any specific case of alleged child sexual abuse.
Concern over child abuse investigations
Child advocates have raised concerns over how sexual abuse allegations are handled in the Cayman Islands in the wake of a judge’s warning that “inexcusable delays” had impacted the chances of justice in a recent case.
