Speaking at a prayer vigil against sexual crimes perpetrated on children, Director of the Women’s Crisis Center, Dr Sandra Dean-Patterson said that of the 1500 rapes reported between 2000 and 2004, over 952 were perpetrated against children. She noted that in 2002, a six-year-old boy was assaulted by a 29-year-old man and she also made mention of the recent rape of a six-year-old girl last month. Thirty-two-year-old Andrew Bridgewater has since been charged in a Magistrate’s Court with raping the school girl, who was found in an abandoned car bloodied and severely traumatised in an area near to BEC’s Blue Hill and Soldier Road Power station. This recent case has sparked much public outrage, which has led the Crisis Center to hold a vigil at Rawson Square in support for the six-year-old girl and other victims of abuse.
According to Dr Patterson, because there is shame,fear and violence associated with sex crimes against children, these cases are not reported. She said some abuse cases are not revealed until presentations are conducted by the Center at schools and children come forward. “It is very important that we see this for what it is and let our children know that they can be safe,” Dr Patterson said. “We also need to let perpetrators know that this country will not tolerate this type of behaviour.”
Dr Patterson further stated that citizens should make the legal system more attentive, responsive and sensitive, as worldwide, it seems as if it is biased towards adult rights. “We have to take it seriously as each child that it happens to is badly traumatised.” She said.
Minister of Health, Dr Bernard Nottage, said that following the attack on the six-year-old girl, there was an outcry for more legislation and harsher penalties. He added, however, that the focus should be on preventing such crimes. Dr. Nottage said while working as an Obstetrician and Gynaecologist he came across many cases of children as young as eight years old who became pregnant by their abusers. He asked parents to take more responsibility for the welfare of their children and to be more vigilant about who they are left with.
The Guardian reported earlier this month that cases of sexual abuse of children for the first six months of 2006 has seen a “disturbing” increase of almost 20 per cent over the same period last year, according to statistics released by the Department of Social Services, Children and Family Services Division. Statistics indicate that between January and June of 2006, there were 49 reported cases of sexual abuse of children, compared to the 41 cases reported last year, representing a 19.5 per cent increase.
The 2005 figures relating to the different forms of abuse of children from January to June, show that there were 100 reported cases of physical abuse, 22 cases of incest and five cases of child abandonment. This year, over the same time period, there were 67 reported cases of physical abuse, nine cases of physical abuse, nine cases of incest, two cases of verbal abuse and four cases of child abandonment.
By: N. Thomas-Brown, The Nassau Guardian
