Children at risk - JFJ wants Parliament to debate growing problem of crime
published: Saturday | March 4, 2006

Yahneake Sterling and Rasbert Turner, Gleaner Writers

HUMAN RIGHTS lobby group, Jamaicans For Justice (JFJ) yesterday called on Parliament to debate the disturbing state of crime and violence in the nation and outline, for a national television audience, the steps the legislature plans on taking to curb the ever worsening crisis.

The call comes on the heels of this week's flare-up of murders, involving children, which JFJ has labelled a "continuing cycle of violence plaguing the country".

MAKE JAMAICA SAFE

"Jamaicans For Justice is calling for Parliament to immediately debate, on live television, the issues of crime and violence and outline agreed bipartisan action to make Jamaica a safe place for its citizens," the human rights group said in a statement.

Since last week, several children have been murdered, including four from the same family in St. Thomas, all under age 10, in highly publicised killings.

Sean Chin Jr., nine; Marshall George McCool, three; nine year-old Jesse O'Gilvie; and a little girl believed to be Jihad McCool, whose body was found on Thursday, were killed last weekend.

As the nation was still coming to grips with the brutal murders in St. Thomas, six-year-old Levana Gordon was shot dead while travelling home with her father, Police Corporal Levon Gordon, Thursday night.

Levana was shot and killed by a group of heavily-armed gunmen who ambushed her father along the Hartlands main road in St. Catherine.

SHOOT-OUT

According to reports, the child was asleep in the front seat of her father's Honda Integra motor car when the gunmen engaged him in a shoot-out which lasted about five minutes.

Attempts to contact Dr. Peter Phillips National Security Minister (who is also Leader of Government Business in the House of Representatives) for a comment on JFJ's call for a debate were unsuccessful.

Yesterday, Derrick Smith, Opposition Spokesman on National Security and Leader of Opposition Business in the House, said: "I will be willing to participate in such a debate, any time, any place and without notice."

JFJ's acknowledgement of the victims of recent crime included Corporal Rohan White, who was killed on February 22, and the four children and two adults in St. Thomas.

JFJ argued that the Government should immediately place violence and crime at the top of the agenda and allocate financial resources to enable the police to function effectively.