Consultant of the United National Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Leon Charles said the Caribbean is challenged to deal with cases of child sexual abuse.
He told a consultation here this week, that the findings of the study done on child sexual abuse are disturbing.
“The first disturbing factor is that the study has found that there is a normalization of sexual relations among teenagers in society, in that many adults think it is alright for teenagers to have sex with adult male or female. This worrying because it is telling us that what others are concerned about, in fact other people considered to be normal activity,” he said.
He said the majority of parents are responsible for the high number of child sexual abuse cases.
“Many parents condone the activity, not just by taking pay-offs but parents are telling their girls children to use what they have to get what they want” he said.
He said the challenge is a lot more than profiling the abusers.
Yes, parents are to blame far too often.
There are teenagers who know their parents are either not married, OR lived together before they tied the knot.
Some know one or both parents have had (or are having) affairs.
Alcoholic beverages and partying in the home adds fuel to the fire.
Mothers dress their little girls immodestly which gives the child the idea that this kind of appearance is desirable, and leaves them with false values.
Mothers with teenage daughters instead of setting an example for them are sometimes seen dressed like sluts. They seem to have a need to appear “cool” to their girls but I have heard daughters say how ashamed they were of how their mums dressed. And yes, one teenager actually used the word “slutty”.
Single or separated mothers sometimes reach the place where their dating habits became obviously desperate. Those who have a boyfriend move in with them are placing their daughters at risk. He is not to be trusted! If he was a man of good character he would NOT be moving in! A man who would fornicate with the mother would fornicate with the daughter. After all, he legally belongs to neither of them and he thinks he is getting two for the price of one. Once he is paying the bills this kind of mother finds it difficult to say anything to either of them if she suspects he is sexually involved with a daughter, and she is even less apt to report him to the police.
This is literally pimping the child. There should be a law carrying a severe penalty for any person, especially a parent, who has any reason to suspect a child is being sexually abused and does not report it to the police. It is hard to believe a government anywhere takes the sexual abuse of children seriously that does not have such a law.
On the other hand we have known of cases that were reported and went nowhere in spite of the case having reasonable evidence. This can sometimes be the fault of under motivated cops or an incompetent judge. We need newspapers that will scoop the mess up. Let them dig, dig, dig, until they get the answers. The public wants to know when it goes to court, and if not, why not. Then they want to know what was the verdict and the sentence.
At the end of the day it is only good investigative reporters and fearless editors that can hold these people accountable.
Sincerely, Rev. Donald Hill. International Evangelist.
Sexual abuse starts all the way from the top. They sending their drivers to pick up these young and under age ladies and give them litte trinkets. Abuse must be stop from the top. Those men who give promotions for sexual favors. They women them selves greedy and want too much stuff too soon so the sleep around to achieve marterial things.
West Indian people are getting sick just like the rest of the world. It used to be that a long time ago West Indian people could be told apart from others because of our high moral upbringing. Not so today. Where has it gone to? No longer do we have values and morals. It is each man for himself. Let us hope that the stronger laws that are going to be enacted in Dominica will save our children. One of the new laws will prevent parents from accepting monetary bribes when a gropwn man has raped a child. Can you believe that parents would accept money from the criminal who savaged their child as hush money? Poor child would have to live with knowing that they were raped and with the emotional consequence? Seeing the man walking around town and not a dam thing can be done? The child fearing that they could be raped again? Magway sa. Parents need to take a jail too.
sexual abuse!!!!! talking about teenager, they are practically adults. what about the ten years and under how about focusing some attention on that. it happens way too often.