Christina Scott
Four Anguillan agencies came together on Thursday 19 March to reaffirm their commitment in a new Protocol to tackle one of the most insidious and hidden crimes: child abuse, including child sexual abuse.
As the Chief Minister says in his foreword to the new Interagency Child Protection Protocol, “Children are Anguilla’s most precious resource. We are therefore obligated to ensure that we provide them with an environment free of abuse where they can flourish and thrive”.
I completely agree. There can be no more fundamental responsibility on a community than to secure and safeguard the well-being, safety and protection of its children.
The Interagency Child Protection Protocol offers important guidance and support on good practices for the identification, reporting, investigation and prosecution of child abuse cases. It is essential reading for anyone who – through their professional or voluntary work – comes into contact with children in any capacity.
The importance of this Protocol is clear if we consider just one type of child abuse – child sexual abuse.
A UNICEF opinion poll conducted in Anguilla last year, revealed that of those interviewed, just under half (45 per cent) believed that child sexual abuse was a major problem in Anguilla. Sixteen per cent – almost one in five – stated that they knew of a child who had been or continued to be a victim of sexual abuse. Sobering statistics that should worry us all.
More positively, around three quarters of respondents (71%) indicated that they would report an incident of child sexual abuse and around a quarter (23%) said they would seek help for the child.
The sad truth, however, is that with only a small handful of cases of child sexual abuse being reported to the police in the last year, we are still a long way from where we need to be. Too few reports are made. There is a veil of secrecy. People – including those with professional responsibilities towards children – are not taking the necessary steps. And children are suffering in the meantime.
If we accept that we have the duty to protect Anguilla’s children, then we need to tackle the fear of negative consequences of reporting, and remove any embarrassment in making reports. We need to make the reporting process clearer, and better understood, protecting those who raise legitimate concerns about the welfare of children. And then the authorities need to demonstrate that they are working seamlessly to protect the child, and then to bring offenders to justice.
So I am delighted that the new Protocol expressly sets out the law and procedures that should be used to report abuse. More importantly still, it makes clear that any professional who works with children must report suspected abuse of a child regardless of whether or not the knowledge of the abuse was gained in the reporter’s official capacity. In other words, the Protocol makes mandatory reporting of abuse of children a 24-hour obligation. Failure to report a suspected case of sexual abuse for example, carries sanctions in the form of a possible two years imprisonment, a fine of $5000, or both.
These are tough penalties that will be used where it becomes clear that, for example, a teacher has turned a blind eye and failed to report images circulating of child pornography, or when a doctor fails to report suspicious broken bones and bruising in a child they are treating.
Each and every one of us has a moral responsibility to protect those who cannot protect themselves. Whilst everyone should report child abuse, the Protocol makes clear that there are many professionals who, because they have frequent contact with children, must report abuse – or be held liable by law.
This therefore is a vital initiative. I congratulate all those agencies and professionals who have worked to prepare the Protocol, and who are committed to ensuring its effective enforcement. The Protocol’s launch is the easy bit: the really hard work now lies ahead.
Finally, I should like to commend those who have in recent months taken the step of raising their concerns about child abuse. The RAPF have had, for example, more cases of child sexual abuse reported in the first two months of 2015 compared to the whole of 2014. Those who – driven by a commitment to child welfare – have made reports, serve as an example to others.
This is everyone’s business. Whether we are public servants, voluntary workers, church members, parents, or community activists we can, with the steer of these new measures, play our part in implementing strong and effective measures that protect Anguilla’s children from harm and promote their welfare.
(Published without editing by The Anguillian newspaper.)
