Justice Must Be Swift for Perpetrators of Crimes Against Children – GG

Governor General, His Excellency the Most Hon. Sir Patrick Allen, has emphasised that the country must leave no stone unturned to swiftly bring to justice, perpetrators of crimes against children.

“We cannot be at ease when many children remain missing and are feared to have been victims of human trafficking. We must spare no effort to ensure the safety and protection of our youth,” the Governor General said.

In his message, read by President of the St. James Lay Magistrates Association, Mrs. Claudette Bryan, at the St. James Parish Labour Day Church Service, held at Mt. Zion United Church in St. James, on May 24, he stressed that the country must rise up against the increase in child abuse and the upsurge of violence against children.

The Governor-General called for “urgent national collaboration” in respect of the care, protection and safety of the nation’s children.

“I am convinced that once the people of Jamaica unite their forces at every level of society, there is no problem which we shall not overcome. Together, we can make Jamaica the safe and prosperous country we all want it to be,” he asserted.

The Governor General said that parents have the primary responsibility for nurturing their children, doing their best to provide for their needs, even where this demands sacrifice.

“I urge all parents to show love in the way they speak to children, discipline them and influence them to be the best that they can be.  Protect them from those who would harm them, even if the predator is a family member,” he said.

The Governor General appealed to neighbourhoods and entire communities across Jamaica to renew the aspect of Jamaican life in respect of the African tradition of the village being responsible for raising children.