Demands of a child

With 12 children killed tragically or violently in Jamaica since the start of the year, and a total of 30 who perished under similarly defined circumstances during 2023, a renewed call to speak out was made yesterday by one of the nation’s youngest citizens.

The charge came from 13-year-old Ackeef Nugent, youth advocate and student at Excelsior High School, who made an impassioned plea for citizens to abandon their silence.

Nugent was addressing a ceremony held by the Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation as it marked the beginning of Child Month at the Secret Gardens monument in downtown Kingston.

The service, attended by more than 100, was held to observe the memory of the nation’s children who have died under violent or tragic circumstances.

“We cannot afford to remain silent any longer, we must be bold, we must be courageous and we must be in pursuit of justice for our children, we must be their advocates, their protectors and their champions,” said Nugent, who was guest speaker for the event.

Stating that it was everyone’s responsibility to create a safe and nurturing environment for children, the teenager emphasised the importance of educating children on their rights, and holding perpetrators who violate those rights accountable.

“It is time to stand up to those who turn a blind eye to the suffering of our youths, it is time to speak out against the injustice that continues to thrive in Jamaica,” he said.

Through poetry, songs and dance, children from various Corporate Area schools also pleaded for their safety.

Pastor Dane Fletcher, Youth and Chaplaincy Ministries Director of the Jamaica Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, who also spoke at the service, said people who commit crimes against children should face extreme consequences.

“Offences against children, the vulnerable, the weak, offences against children should receive maximum penalty and where and when the law does not seem to bite, we need to give the law more teeth to bite,” he said to much applause.

While noting the need for parents to be accountable for the well-being of their children, the clergyman said it was equally important for them to listen to those under their care.

“Give them room to enjoy life and as we listen to them, if they slip, if they err, we guide them aright,” he said.

Mayor of Kingston Andrew Swaby added his voice to the call for adults to protect children.

“As a nation we need to stand up for our children, protect them from violence and abuse. We need to speak out against cruelty which our children are subjected to. Last, but by no means least, we need to protect them from cruel, degrading and inhumane treatment to which they are exposed.”

Swaby highlighted that often, children are victimised by people who are given the responsibility to protect them.

“The village that once raised our children has turned against them without just cause; homes, schools, and even churches no longer provide a safe haven for our children as criminals have found a way to infiltrate these places,” he said.

He pointed to preliminary figures from the Centre for the Investigation of Sexual Offences and Child Abuse, which showed that more than 1400 cases of child abuse were reported in 2023. Describing this as “unacceptable”, Swaby said the number is “far too high, especially for Jamaica being a small country”.

“We are failing our children, we are failing them by not setting good examples for them, we’re failing them by continuing to erode the moral fibre, we have failed them by exposing them to crime and violence. Some are being groomed by criminals and gangs to participate in illicit activities,” he said.

Child Month is being observed this year under the theme, ‘Stand Up! Speak Out! Protect the Rights of Our Children’.

sashana.small@gleanerjm.com