Minister Grange Condemns Acts of Violence Against Children

Minister of Information, Culture, Youth and Sports, with responsibility for Women’s Affairs and Gender Issues, Olivia Grange, is urging individuals and communities to take a stand against violence of all forms being committed in the society, especially against children.
Miss Grange’s appeal comes against the background of reports surfacing within recent weeks of acts of violence committed against children. The most recent involved a nine-month old infant, who reportedly died after being sexually molested. The Minister’s call supports a release which Cabinet issued on Monday (Sept. 29), abhorring the ghastly acts against the nation’s youngsters.
In the release, which Miss Grange read during Wednesday’s (Oct. 1), post-Cabinet media briefing at Jamaica House, members of the Cabinet expressed regret over the recent incidents involving children, noting that there was consensus among their (Cabinet) ranks of a need for measures to address the matter.
“Cabinet agreed that the measures to address the recent acts of violence against the nation’s children, must be strengthened immediately, and underscored the importance of passing the anti-crime legislation currently before Parliament, in order to enable the security forces to deal decisively with the criminals within our midst,” the release said.
Commenting on the issue, Miss Grange said she was “appalled at the brazen brutality and increasing level of violence being committed in the country, in general, and the nature of violence being committed against our children.”
“I find it very disturbing and cause for great alarm and concern. I was pained between yesterday (Tuesday) and this (Wednesday) morning, when I heard about the nine-month old child. it really is chilling… words can’t express how I feel,” she bemoaned.
She stressed the need for a collective effort by the society to “root out” sexual violence against the nation’s children.
“The abuses that are taking place in the country, incest, carnal abuse, rape, abduction, and killing, are becoming all too frequent. And, as a nation, we cannot allow this to continue. We cannot be passive or powerless. We must all join in the fight to eliminate this monster,” she stated.
In this regard, Miss Grange appealed to individuals and communities to commit themselves to eliminating all forms of violence, especially against children, “so that they can experience the dignity of personal security to which we are all rightfully entitled.”