Daraine Luton & Keisha Hill, Gleaner WritersINCIDENTS LIKE the one involving the Dayton Avenue Church of God deacon who stood by and did nothing while a 14-year-old schoolgirl was being gang-raped in a van he was driving, can turn people's mind away from the Church, according to Rev. Devon Dick, pastor of the Boulevard Baptist Church in St. Andrew.
He believes the Church runs the danger of seeing an exodus of young people if such unwelcome behaviour becomes a trend. Rev. Dick has expressed outrage at the act which he calls "premeditated and dastardly."
The Gleaner-Bill Johnson poll that was conducted on May 13 and 14 in 84 communities across the island's 14 parishes found that people had a problem with the Church because of clerics' unconventional sexual conduct worldwide.
A whopping 66 per cent of those polled said recurring stories of Roman Catholic priests in other parts of the world molesting and having sex with youngsters, especially young boys, was a problem.
Pastor of the Dayton Avenue Church of God, where the deacon worships, retired High Court judge Justice Martin Wright said he was aware of the incident
when The Sunday Gleaner spoke to him last week. Despite this, it was the newspaper that called in the police.
Children's Advocate Mary Clarke expressed shock and noted that there was an immense time-lap between when the incident happened and when it was reported.
Justice Wright knew of the incident 10 days before the police.
"This indicates the sad state of affairs that our society is now in, when adults are aware of the physical and emotional trauma that a child is enduring or has endured and neglects or refuses to report it.," Mrs. Clarke said in a media release.
She said that the incident underscores the need for urgent public education to inform the citizenry on their responsibility to mandatory reporting as provided in the Child Care and Protection Act.
Dr. Grace Kelly, head of the Community Counselling and Restorative Centre in Mandeville and president of the Jamaica Association of Guidance Counsellors in education has asked parents to be more cautious with their children.
"Children should not be resistant in attending church even though they may be fearful that something similar may happen to them. However, they should be cautious and the parents should pay close attention to them," Dr. Kelley commented.
Meanwhile, men support group, Fathers Inc. are also outraged about the incident. They chided the deacon, and have called for other men to add their voice in condemning the act.
"I am very outraged, more at the adults than the two boys that did the act," said Lanny Davidson of Fathers in Action.
Patrick Prendergast, lecturer at the Caribbean Institute for Media and Communication (CARIMAC) and a member of Fathers in Crisis described the incident as frightening and has called from support for men in condemning it.
"We must send a signal in the most extreme of ways that we do not condone such act," Prendergast said.
He also called on the media, especially broadcast, to be sensitive in the way they deal with the story.
"We have to protect the victim and the victims in all of this," Prendergast added.
The Child Care and Protection Act, 2004Section 6, Subsection 2
Any person who has information which causes that person to suspect that a child---
(a) has been, is being or is likely to be, abandoned, neglected or, physically or sexually ill-treated; or
(b) is otherwise in need of care and protection, shall make a report to the Registry
Section 6, Subsection 3
A prescribed person who, in the discharge of that person's duties, acquires information that ought reasonably to cause that person to suspect that a child---
(a) has been, is being or is likely to be, abandoned, neglected or, physically or sexually ill-treated; or
(b) is otherwise in need of care and protection, shall make a report to the Registry in accordance with the provisions of this section.
