Safety board created to protect children

| 12/08/2016 | 17 Comments

Cayman News Service(CNS): The governor’s office has announced the creation of a new board that will enable relevant agencies to work together in the interest of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people in the Cayman Islands. The press release stated that the board was established in May but the announcement comes in the wake of shocking revelations during a recent child abuse trial that after an 11-year-old child reported being systematically abused by male relatives for several years, the case was neglected by the police for over a year and a half.

Although the government release makes no mention of the failures surrounding that case, Deputy Governor Franz Manderson, to whom the board will answer, said its development showed that the Cayman Islands Government was stepping up and enhancing the child protection structure.

“The Child Safeguarding Board will ensure that social workers, police and other professionals are communicating at the highest level to ensure that everything that can be done is being done to protect our children. I cannot endorse these new measures enough and I look forward to hearing more about the work of the Board as we go forward,” Manderson stated.

The board comprises relevant government agencies and representatives from non-governmental bodies and will function as a scrutiny and decision-making body. The board’s objectives include undertaking strategic planning of services relevant to the safeguarding of children, ensuring services are coordinated and holding all partner agencies to account for their safeguarding practice.

The board includes members from the Department for Children and Family Services, the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service, the Ministry of Community Affairs, Youth and Sports, the Department of Education, the Health Services Authority, the Department of Counselling Services, the Solicitor General’s Office, the CAYS Foundation, the Prison Service, the Department of Community Rehabilitation, the Deputy Governor’s Office and NGO representation, as well as independent lay members.

Cayman News Service

Community Affairs Minister Osbourne Bodden, who is responsible for some of the front line agencies that are often the first see the child abuse, said he welcomed the creation of the board, which he said had “a responsibility to hold us all to account and make sure that the highest standards are applied to our child protection systems”.

The minister added, “Ensuring that our children are able to grow up safe and free from abuse must be our top priority.”

Cayman Islands Governor Helen Kilpatrick, who has ultimate responsibility for the RCIPS, which dropped the ball on the latest case, said the board was based on a best practice model.

“It will provide an effective mechanism to coordinate child protection matters and safeguard the children of the Cayman Islands from all forms of abuse,” she added, but offered no comment on the previous failures of the police in this area.

There has been no explanation about the chain of events that saw the case, which was heard in the Grand Court this month, fall through the cracks.

However, Justice Tim Owen, who is expected to deliver his verdict next month, raised his concerns over the delay and the significant challenges it had created in the case.

CNS has contacted the RCIPS regarding the case and officials there have stated that they will be commenting on the enquiry after the verdict is delivered.

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Comments (17)

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  1. Anonymous says:

    I am hoping that the Committee will also look into the environment that some of these poor kids are coming from. They are exposed to everything except good. Teachers seem to turn a blind eye because they are afraid. Some of these very small four year olds are exposed to sex etc and they are attacking other kids. These kids should be sent to other decent homes with professional help so that they can get over this. There are folks in the Community who knows exactly what I am talking about.

  2. Anonymous says:

    Will this board be involved in divorce/custody cases?

    If you’re calling neglect. There’s lots of neglect going on under the radar.

  3. Anonymous says:

    Another Brilliant decision by CIG. This Board is badly needed and will break down any remaining silos. Please remember that the case mentioned seems to imply that the police dropped the ball neither the Premier or DG can discipline police officers.

    Minister Bodden this is joined up approach we need so badly.

    Thank you Governor.

    • Anonymous says:

      It too will become a silo. We have a very long way to go in the field.

      • Anonymous says:

        The new system is not working. Child sex abuse cases are being mislabeled as non-issues, social workers are interviewing children without witnesses, police or specialist involvement and there are no measures in place to ensure the children are safeguarded from inappropriate questioning or any misuse or abuse of power. Sadly what the children are saying is not in fact what is being reported to the appropriate authorities. Disclosures that are being made by children are silenced and reported as non-issues to the courts and the authorities or labeled as having been coached and nothing is done. Children are returned to the same people who are abusing them and those who try to speak up for the children are the very people whose care the children are removed from by the department that is supposed to safeguard children.

  4. Anon says:

    How come the NGOs aren’t listed? There are a number of NGOs who have been at the forefront of this for years. The documentary “unspeakable” was put together by a group made up of NGOs and government agencies. The most recent efforts at education are being led by NGOs. The Darkness into Light training is held at the red cross- so tell us who arethese ngs because the people who are doing the work better be there!

  5. Sharkey says:

    The children of the Islands would never get any protection from child abuse “if ” those that are made to protect the child not be held accountable . We have to remember that the child cannot protect it’s self , and that’s why who is in charge / guardian be held responsible by Law for the victim children.

    Child abuse protection should not be answered by no politican, and shouldn’t be able to interfere with investigations . And parents / kids / teachers or any other care taker should only have to report child abuse to the one that would be accountable to everyone, saying that anyone reporting child abuse to that one gets a copy of him or her report, so that followup and accountability would be clear .

  6. Anonymous says:

    Protect them from religion while you’re at it. Kids shouldn’t be exposed to such filth.

  7. Anonymous says:

    Just one of Cayman’s dirty little secrets to which we, collectively, turn a blind eye.

    It is beyond disgusting that the RCIP failed to do anything except send this young girl back into her home.

    It is beyond comprehension that the RCIP have failed/ refused to provide an explanation to the Judge as to why this happened.

    We love to paint Cayman as this bright glittering shiny jewel of the Caribbean…..but scratch the surface and you’ll find the real Caman.

    XXXX

    EVERY single person involved in the initial investigation should also be facing charges.

  8. Yahshua says:

    One word – before anyone else, we who were one time innocent and vunerable, would want to know that are children are well protect. This is a matter if justice. Many times the innocent are caught between warring parties and they can’t speak for themselves. And we need Judges who will have a heart in assessing cases involving children who become victims of awful crimes.

  9. Anonymous says:

    How many heads will roll for the “inexcusable delays” by police in investigating allegations of sustained serious sexual abuse? Unless there are consequences nothing will change.

    The mere existence of the documentary “Unspeakable: Confronting Child Sexual Abuse In The Cayman Islands” aka “cayman couture” is revolting. The documentary is available on YouTube.

    A Global Financial center AND “cultural” acceptance of child abuse don’t go together.
    Cayman International Film Festival and “cultural” acceptance of child abuse don’t go together. Film industry must boycott the festival until this country takes sexual abuse of children seriously.

    How many years have passed since a 1,100 signature petition calling for the creation of a public sex offenders’ registry in Cayman was presented to the Cayman Islands Government by social and community activist Sandra Hill???

    No importance is being placed on the creation of a public sex offenders’ registry in Cayman. Yet, attention is given to anything and everything, but this embarrassing, barbaric issue-sexual abuse of the most innocent – children.

    Now it is time for Premier and Deputy Governor to comment on this problem.

  10. Anonymous says:

    Lets hope this one agency does its job well and not just another employment creation scheme

  11. 1 PQE lawyer says:

    Yes, let’s think of the children. Could we also please think of the young adults who have been educated overseas and returned to contribute to and live in their country only to find it is still run by overfed, inept bureaucrats and politicians and callous, greedy expat professionals with no focus on social well being, very little to do, no schemes to assist us with ever owning property, and overall nothing to guide or support us other than meagre encouragement when we pull up our own bootstraps. That’s what I’d like to see.

    • Anonymous says:

      Your parents should be the one guiding you and you should have your own personal plan and ambition to own a property.

      This meagre island has plenty to do. Maybe not as a big city has to offer and if that is what you like, seek to work in a big city in another country. Nowhere in the world offers everything for everybody. Citizen or not.

      I returned home with my degree but no experience. I could not get a job. Well I took anything and after a few years got into a career path. Why? Through hard work. It is not what I studied in school and that is okay because it turned out better than if I got the job automatically because of my one ‘qualification’ of being a local or paper caymanian.

  12. Anonymous says:

    won’t someone please think of the children!

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