Teenage boy admits armed burglary
(CNS): A 16-year-old boy who has been on tight bail conditions since being charged with aggravated burglary was urged by the judge to keep up the progress he was making, after pleading guilty on Friday. But Justice Roger Chapple made it clear that all sentencing options, including jail, were still on the table. The boy, who has had a very difficult life, was bailed to return in October. The case against him was transmitted from the Youth Court to the Grand Court because of the severity of the charges.
The young man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, is accused of invading a family member’s home in West Bay last March brandishing an imitation gun.
But his attorney pointed out that since coming under the supervision of the Youth Court, he has made real progress and is working and volunteering, and, according to social workers, despite his background he was doing really well.
The teenager is one of a number of young offenders who are becoming trapped in the criminal justice system, largely as a result of coming from abusive, neglectful and risk-filled environments, leaving them exceptionally vulnerable. In most of these cases, the system appears to have let them down, leading the youngsters to replacing dysfunctional families and a lack of protection with gangs and crime.
Is he in fact Caymanian? Will he in fact remain Caymanian after his 18th Birthday? Is he deportable? Should he be deported? Is anyone even checking or asking these questions?
Mandatory abortions
Once again, another one let down.
Yet again here is a young man who did no receive the help he clearly needed. When is Cayman going to realise that its children are being failed monumentally by a dysfunctional system. Your funding is misplaced and in truth your inability to deal with chese children, who are often identified as early as 4, means Northwood will continue to be full.
It’s not the system that has let these young people down, it’s their families!
The system is left to pick up the pieces and try and keep these children on the right road.