Letter of the Day | Toxic relationships perpetuating crime
Published:Friday | September 22, 2023 | 12:06 AM
THE EDITOR, Madam;
There was a sigh of relief with the arrest of a young lady for the brutal death of eight-year-old Danielle Rowe. The story has captured much attention, not only because of the viciousness of the crime, but because of the alleged reason for her death.
Without casting aspersions on anyone, a segment of the population is of the belief that a woman killed little Danielle because of negative feelings from a relationship with a close relative of said child.
What is of note is that an egregious crime has been committed allegedly because of the breakdown of a male/female intimate relationship. Similarly, the recent disappearance of a rising female dancehall artiste is alleged to be linked to a relationship that has also soured.
The allegations are no different in relation to the 17-year-old schoolgirl who was badly burnt while asleep at home in Linstead, St. Catherine, allegedly by her ex-boyfriend. A few months ago making the headlines for weeks if not months were the stories of a female social media influencer who was killed in Montego Bay. The person who has been named and charged as the principal suspect is someone with whom she allegedly sought to form a relationship.
The preponderance of these crimes as a result of relationships gone bad behoves us as individuals to be more deliberate in choosing our partners. Each citizen should and must realise that it is always best to be in healthy, honest and non-toxic relationships, take time to know them, ‘it’s not an overnight thing’.
It also brings to the fore the relevance of counselling, both professional and less formal. Older people should once again be more involved in the lives of young people in their communities in an effort to provide counsel of the years when needed. More Jamaicans must also begin to recognise professional counselling as something that is necessary in all our lives rather than reserved for ‘mad people’.
Last and importantly, never be afraid to get the authorities involved at the first sign of violence in a relationship involving you or someone you know. We have to start thinking about all the avenues for stemming the tide of violence that so easily sweeps our society.
We all have a role to play.
PATRICE RILEY
Attorney-at-Law