Chief Welfare Officer Martin Anthony says partnerships must be formed to break the cycle of child abuse in the country.
His comments come following the disappearance of 14-year old Shanice Jemmot more than a week ago.
Anthony says the Welfare Department is working with the police to ensure the safe return of Shanice to her family.
“We are continuing to collaborate with the police and we are doing everything possible to have her return home safely. It is our hope that she is in fact safe and that we will get her where she belongs. The call is going out to anyone who may have information to make it available so that the mind of the entire country will be at peace,” Anthony said.
He said authorities will not rest until the matter is brought to a close.
“We should always be united on matter relating to children and their abuse. Incidents like this calls for a united front. We call on the public to continue to make reports on the matter and to always cooperate with the police,” he added.
I just want to know that she is safe somewhere. I really don’t want to think of Dominica as not being safe for children to walk around on their own. When I go home I let my daughter visit relatives on her own knowing she is safe, unlike in in England, but now I’m having second thoughts as to letting roam about on her own. We need to have the freedom and no fear of going where we went as children growing up there.
i feel very sorry for the family especially, this is a great ordeal to accept i have a son i will not want anything to happen to him anyway for the family keep your head above water and pray for the safe return of your daughter i cant believe what dominica has become to i am even afraid of going outside at night its not safe a toll.
alas tell di lady way her child be di lady cry in off
Possibities:
1. She fell in the river and drown (if there is one nearby).
2. Human traffiking of young girls.
3. She ran away. There are a lot of places to hide on this island.
4. Kidnapping. Who would do this and why?
Hope it turns out ok.
Where are the police dogs/ hunting dogs????? Check all private roads leading to private gardens and along the rivers. They would need water. Layou valley has alot of private roads. Maybe he covers the car with branches.
What does the man family has to say, do they know his where about???
I hope she is still alive because this does not look good. God knows best!!!!!
The man family doesn’t know his way abouts and we too went looking fo him when he dissapeared. Rumours make it seem that we know something but we know nothing so stop talking when you’ll don’t know what to say. We too wish that they are found, because after all 2 persons are missing!!
Seriously, if I were you I would shut my mouth. I would not respond.
Note the key word here, is “If”.
OH PLEASE! which hell 2 people are missing…that wicked hardback man already did all his damage and drag the person child in his coshoni….he already scar the person child for life…he will find his way home….im sure…….hope this young girl is returned safe and ALIVE baack to her family where she belong.
@Family.. you must be the man family not Shanices’!!!! All I have to say IF I WAS ANY MEMBER OF THIS MANS’ FAMILY I WOULD SIMPLY HUSH and I say so with good measure. Stop pretending that he is some saint who is missing! what a coincidence?There isn’t a single soul in that area who has anything good to say about the individual and the males in that family. Stop the hypochrisy
WE WANT SHANICE BACK HOME SAFE IS ALL, THIS IS NOT ABOUT YOUR FAMILY, OR ANYONE ELSE MOUNTING A DEFENSE! PLEASE LORD GUIDE HER BACK HOME
@ family….just hush ok and go find that man( that potance family member of yours) they looking for. I am pretty certain that he has a connection with the missing of Shanice. Poor girl.
SHANICE WHERE R U PPLE IS LOOKING FOR U I AM, DOMINICAN PPLE IS WORRIED.
alas….I dont know her and all my nerves are unstable at this point….I say a prayer every day for her….God is with her…he never makes his children suffer
This is very sad, I can only imagine what the family is going through. I wish them well.
I hope the authorities have gotten in touch with the necessary authorities on neighboring islands to alert them. Dominica is small and I am surprised that this little girl has not yet been found. The search may have to be extended outside our borders.
God forbid that harm comes to this child and that she be found safe and sound. Now what i will say next is not directed at this child nor at her family in this their time of worries, my comment is directed to the youth in general and our society as to how it regards them.
of late we have seen a waywardness in our youth and the indifference of the more responsible. our children have evolved and moved on with the time but our attitudes towards discipline and family values have not. these days we take it lightly and like Shanice’s grandmother said “that our children have their ways”. we often look upon their escapades and careless deeds with humor and it pleasures us all to well to say that “they have big people ways”. we disregard completely the dangers which might result from such behavior and long gone are the days when the community looked after the children, that in the absence of a parent, the neighbor was just as likely and as responsible to ensure that the child did not stray.
these days we are way to unconcerned and as long as it is not our children involved in scandal we could care less, in fact, many a parent today will all to gladly rejoice over the shortcomings of the child of another and it is only when the reality hits home and lamentable situations like this one occur, sorrow and concern manifests. we should all be more responsible, we should all try help in the upbringing of our society’s children and set better examples for them to follow.
and stay at home children, stay at home, take your time to grow up for there will still be enough time left to enjoy the other pleasures of this world.
Again my prayers go out to Shanice’s family and i do hope that she is brought safely home.
Amen!
so true
Well said.
well said my friend thanks for the comforting worda we need to lookk out for our kids and our neighbors also
Well said….I am a young person and this touched a spot…I was sooooooo eager to leave high school and leave college,…and get out of Dominica…..now im in university and i just want to go back to those high school gates where the teachers cared, and where my principal would tap me on my hand if i speak broken english,…..now i wish my neighbour could bring me tea when im sick or just sit on my porch and read with my neighbour children……NOW IM IN AMERICA IN HUSTLE AND BUSTLE AND WISH I COULD GO BACK TO 14 YRS OLD AND TAKE IT ONE DAY AT A TIME….
when you will get parents and the so-called “victims” to cooperate I WILL VOLUNTEER to work with you