By Sue-Ann Wayow
OPPOSITION Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar is calling for justice for two teenage boys who were under the care of the Children’s Authority but were found murdered last year.
During the United National Congress (UNC) virtual report on Monday night, Persad-Bissessar referred to the report laid in Parliament last Friday by Minister of State in the Office of the Prime Minister with responsibility for Gender and Child Affairs Ayanna Webster-Roy.
An independent investigation revealed many social ills at several children’s homes.
Persad-Bissessar spoke about the incident last year March in which five boys escaped from the Authority’s care facility, two of which were gunned down in Laventille, Antonio Francois and Semion Daniel.
She said, “Last year in March, you all will remember the story of five boys who ran away from the Authority’s care facility. According to a report that laid last week in the Parliament… many of us would have talked about it before, the former director of the Children’s Authority Nichola Harvey Mitchell… she called a notorious gang leader named Anthon ‘Bombay’ Boney to find them.
“Could you believe that? That is beyond insane. That is beyond shameful. Two of those teenagers one 15, one 16, what they were… murdered, God rest their souls.”
Speaking at a press conference last year March, the Authority’s former director Nichola Harvey-Mitchell said, “We had a gap in our security and supervision at the time the incident occurred, but certainly I would not say the authority failed the boys.”
She also said then, the demand for services was greater than the resources available.
Persad-Bissessar also referred to a report in the Sunday Express titled “House of Horrors.”
The report concluded: “The fact that the residents were in the care of the State and specifically the Child Support Centre makes the failure to analyse the files of the boys in a coordinated manner, negligence which resulted in the death of the two boys.”
Persad-Bissessar said, “This is shameful. It is a complete disgrace.”
She said, “We need justice for those two boys who were found murdered, we demand justice for the abused children. And we want answers.”
The report with the serious findings was sent to Webster-Roy in December 2021 and, she added, that Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley and Webster-Roy under whose office the Children’s Authority falls did nothing.
“They sat on this horrendous and scandalous report relating to our children,” she said.
Persad-Bissessar also said, “In that (307-page) report, there were 267 instances of the word ‘sexual’ being used with respect to abuse, and there were 286 instances of the word ‘sex’. Over 500 instances in that report where those words are being used.”
She asked that certain homes be closed based on the findings of the report until more stringent measures can be put in place.
Given the serious nature of the report, the Opposition Leader said it was “criminal” that Webster-Roy and Dr Rowley saw no urgency in ensuring these reported incidents of abuse be brought to an immediate stop and one was left to conclude if Harvey-Mitchell was being protected by the People’s National Movement (PNM).
Persad-Bissessar said Webster-Roy was now crying “crocodile tears” over the grave situation and was unfit to be a minister.
“This lady now wants to come and cry crocodile tears. She is in tears. I don’t want tears madam. I want justice for the children who are being abused. We want action,” she declared.
Persad-Bissessar added, “So stay home and cry and let somebody do the job who can do the job. Just go.”
