Dear Editor,
This is an open letter to Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit, Speaker of the House Alix Boyd Knights, and all other members of Dominica’s House of Parliament, from the members of We Are Dominica, Inc. and more than 650 concerned citizens of Dominica.
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March 14, 2016
Mr. Skerrit, Mrs. Boyd-Knights, and all Parliamentarians,
This letter, signed by more than 650 Dominicans living at home and abroad, demands an emergency sitting of parliament to clearly articulate and debate proposals to reduce child sexual abuse, and enact emergency measures that will immediately protect the children of Dominica from further exploitation.
Child sexual abuse has become a national crisis in Dominica. And, as with any national crisis, it is incumbent upon the government to enact short, medium, and long term measures to mitigate the scourge of the problem. To date, not one measure has been implemented to reduce the numbers of children being abused.
Attorney General Peter Levi announced this week that amendments to the 1998 Sexual Offences Act will be brought to parliament “soon.” Given the history of inaction from the government on this issue, which is detailed below, we, the undersigned, demand a clear timeline with an absolute deadline by which this piece of legislation will be debated in parliament. We understand that the length of time it takes to develop, refine, and implement this law makes it a medium to long term measure. It is therefore of critical importance that we implement short term measures today to prevent the numbers of children that will be abused while we wait for the 1998 Sexual Offences Act to be amended.
As you read through the comments of the 650+ signers of this petition, we hope you understand why prevention has to be our primary concern. Once a child is abused, their lives are forever impacted; justice does not undo the pain. Recovery services, are also essential if our children are to heal from the physical and psychological wounds inflicted by such traumatic incidents. We should all be ashamed that the ministry of social services only has two counselors to deal with the deluge of child abuse cases reported each year!
We demand that parliament immediately implements short term measures that will improve prevention and recovery services including, but not limited to an increased budget for the department of social services, for the specific objectives of:
1. Recruiting more investigators
2. Recruiting more social workers
3. Increasing the number of counselors
4. Implementing a web-based sexual offender registry; and
5. Recruiting more educators to teach adults how to appropriately interact with children, and identify and report incidences of child abuse.
Over the past six years, child sexual abuse cases have dominated Dominica’s criminal assizes, and has made national headlines as a growing crisis. The list of news headlines below, sourced from Dominica News Online date back to 2010, showing how long this problem has been allowed to persist as a national emergency without a serious response from the government of Dominica:
1. Dec 10, 2010 – Child abuse rising by the month
2. Mar 2, 2011 – Child abuse rising in Dominica
3. Nov 2, 2012 – Child sexual abuse HIGH in Dominica
4. Nov 19, 2013 – Abuse against boys goes UNREPORTED in Dominica
5. Sept 1, 2014 – Child abuse RAMPANT in Dominica
6. Nov 23, 2015 – Child abuse a MAJOR PROBLEM in Dominica
7. Feb 17, 2016 – 128 children sexually abused in Dominica in 2015
Individual activists and coalitions of organizations, clergy, and other civic organizations have made calls on parliamentarians to take action on child abuse to prevent further children from being tortured.
In November, 2013 a petition to raise the age of consent in Dominica was delivered to you, Mr. Skerrit, who at the time assured it would be discussed with cabinet ministers. A response to this petition was never issued by your office. In June, 2015 minister of security Rayburn Blackmoore stated that he was unaware of this petition.
Protests were held in April 2014, June 2015, and November 2015, to highlight the urgency of this situation, and begging for a government response. To date, there has not been one single measure implemented to mitigate the growing numbers of abused children.
In the last week, the child sexual abuse scourge has hit close to our national “home.” All Dominicans, regardless of party affiliation, have decried inappropriate behavior against our children. Citizens can no longer be confident that this government will work on behalf of the most vulnerable members of our society, when the government fails to implement protective measures, and, at the same time, appear to be involved in the very crisis we are trying to curb.
It is therefore long overdue for all parliamentarians to make it clear where they stand on the issue of child sexual abuse.
We call on you today to act swiftly and decisively to protect our children by calling an emergency sitting of parliament to discuss the proposals contained in this letter as well as others introduced by individual members of parliament and activists. While specific legislation may not be enacted at this emergency sitting, we request a thorough debate and decisions on a list of emergency measures that will be undertaken immediately, such as budgetary increases for social services, development of a sexual offender registry, more counselors, and investigators, to name a few.
Each day we wait to enact protective measures, another child suffers from the horrific act of abuse that cannot be wiped away when laws are enacted months later. Our children are our most precious resource; the rampant and brutal abuse of our child is a national emergency; and the time has long past for the government of Dominica to adequately respond to this crisis.
Cherry Pacquette
Public Relations Officer
We Are Dominica, Inc., and
600+ citizens of Dominica listed on this linked petition.
[email protected]
Dominicans stop making this a political issue. Stop making everything! political. A huge wrong n injustice has been done and continues against our children and we need to address it as such. If the children are the future, what kind of future are we expected to have? It’s obvious the powers that be are not too eager to do what they are supposed to do, n i don’t care whether u wear red, or blue, or black, this issue needs to be taken care of. No one should be above the law! Esp in something so grievous. Do we even understand the seriousness of this matter? But seems like everything else here “that’s how it is”. Heck no! The people of this country need to take a stand n if the ‘powers that be’ won’t handle it, we the people need to make them. Afterall “we” elected them. They are there to run the country, fix the problems before our lovely Dominica gets to the end of this downward collision course it’s on. I applaud the people who are taking this stand. I pray they don’t…
Maybe Just maybe, this might be too much of a sensitive topic for our PM to address. Maybe it’s too close to home. He has a daughter now…………….so he may have 2nd thoughts.
Good laws take time to formulate. We need to stop behaving so reactive and instead be proactive in our efforts.
It is unethical to rush a botched act into legislation which could initiate a witch hunt and cause more harm than good.
A good law must be fair and balanced, not extreme or irrational or ,God forbid, be found unconstitutional.
Allow the law makers and social science professionals to do their work.
If the lawmakers were doing their wk like they’ve been allowed to for so long, there would’ve been no need for this letter.
The government and Dominicans as a whole need to step up!!!! this letter is a good idea! Put castration back on the ballot box for rape and molestation, let the voters decide!
I believe that the details of the current case may have been leaked deliberately in order for the judges to pronounce that no fair trial would be possible under the circumstances and that the therefore the charges must be dismissed. There are some lawyers and political operators in this country, who are hellbent on winning at all costs and may the devil take hindmost. If they do have a conscience they should examine it scrupulously. What justice for our minors?
Skerritt won’t say anything about child sexual abuse, because he and his puppets rushed to take Lennox Linton to court for pointing out the problem. Now they are caught with their pants down.
If Skerrit was caught with his pants down, I wonder if Lennox was caught with his pants up? The burden is greater with Lennox as he was the one who pointed out the alleged wrong. He should have looked around him. Its like a police going after a criminal, but is caught in a criminal act himself. Skerrit had the benefit of his “boxers’ well in tact. Lennox has to summon the “organs” of his party to wipe his “xxxxxxxx”.
The population needs to go on a general strike and demonstrate for the resignation of every one of the present political leaders that are in power now..The law needs changing ,to many lenient sentences are given to murderers ,rapist ,thieves and hijackers ,,while politicians are taking other politicians to court in order to preserve longer their monthly salary ,the children ,handicaps and the elderly are going through a treatment which is similar to what is found in Islamic countries ..where men have the right to kill and rape…our representatives do not care about the population because if they did what is happening now in Dominica they would make it a priority and never allow or give the population any time to ask for an emergency meeting to sort out this serious problem..
You have my support . While I support the government in going forward on the matter they should have gone to parliament long time.
Guys legislature is not going to prevent the perverts in our land from taking advantage of our under age children, it have to be a community effort to prevent these acts of astrocities. We have to be our neighbours keepers, it is too late when it reaches the Court, it means the crime was already committed and even if the perpetrator is sentenced to Death, the child is damage and that will always be a scar on the child for life!!!!!!!!
Also underwstand base on the sensitivity of the case it is better if the perpetrator is named after the conviction to ensure that there was a fair trial which in a democracy everyone is entitled to.
Laws are laws, but if they are not enforced they are not worth the paper they are written on. Example: we experience that in Dominica every day! Have a look at those unlicensed vehicles on the road! Need I say more…?
They will use the cowardly way out. It is ‘sub judice’ currently before the courts, when what they really mean its our friends so we not saying nothing & maybe all you will forget about it like everything else.
True there are some matters before the courts, but what about the other hundred last year & the hundred likely to happen this year.
To be honest i don’t think going to parliament is going to solve this problem and many other problems plaguing our society. I think its a moral and spiritual problem. We are generally very superficial and are more into the “sewo” Mentality. For those who have wronged and done wrong and are able to get away. Look back at history. One could believe in God. in Allah in Karma etal. But one day your day of reckoning will come. It will come like the thief in the night. It will come when you are on your throne rubbing your belly. Nothing goes unpunished.
My sentiments exactly
True true.
Righteousness exalteth a nation. But sin is a reproach to any people.
Also we who say we are Christians need to behave as Christians n do what we were called to do. Then will there be a change.
How long has it been since the Prime Minister has been back on the island following his trip from India? Yet we are still waiting for an official address on recent developments with regards to child sexual abuse in Dominica. How far down the list on your agenda is child abuse and when will you give a full public statement on the issue? How many more children should be abused before something is done? One would think that being a parent yourself would move you to take swift action against this cancer in our society. Please do something now to preserve hope and self worth in our children again – it’s been long overdue.