IT COULD HAVE BEEN YOUR KIDS

Jun 24, 2011 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom

By the time this meets the press, it is hoped that the two teenagers who went missing recently at Yarrowkabra, Soesdyke/Linden Highway, would have been found and are reunited with their families.
Every second must be anxiety-filled for the relatives of these children. It can never be easy for a parent whose child has gone missing. Any parent will understand the emotional turmoil that the parents of the missing teenagers are enduring. It must be extremely difficult for these parents, and until their children are safely returned to them, they must not be burdened by idle speculation and gossip, since this is not going to help the situation or their own stress. They must be given all the necessary support, and encouragement that their children will soon be back with them.
No one would wish something like this to happen to their own children and, therefore, whatever assistance can be lawfully provided to find these children should be provided.
In the old days, whenever someone went missing, entire communities would come out and search for the children. Search parties would be formed to scour the landscape for the missing, just like a few days ago when relatives went and searched for a missing boy who was later discovered dead in a creek.
Today there is too much indifference and this attitude needs to change within our society. We would be a much better country if everyone showed concern for the problems of others and played their part in ensuring a safe society.
If anyone has information that can be helpful in locating the children, they should provide this immediately to the police. They should not hold back this information, but should remind themselves that it may have been their own children that could have been missing.
There have been calls for the army to form a massive search operation to help locate the children. There have also been reports in the media that the children have been in contact with their relatives and are being held at an unknown location.
The police and their anti-kidnapping squad must be doing their utmost to piece together the evidence so far available so as to trace the children. This squad has had a very good record when it comes to kidnapping. A few years ago, a young child was kidnapped but those allegedly involved in the kidnapping were caught. Another time a young lady was kidnapped and then released and there were also arrests in her case. So there are high expectations that the children would be found and returned to their families safely. Any other possibility should not be entertained at this time.
Guyana must not become a kidnapping state. There is nothing greater that drives fear into the hearts of citizens than the risk of someone close to you being kidnapped or gone missing.
It affects everyone and affects the national mood, because citizens do not know what to do and have to worry about the safety of their own children.
What is important also is that when these children are eventually found, that there be an evaluation of the entire process from the time of the report of their disappearance to the time of their reuniting with their parents, so that the authorities can improve on any weak areas or learn from this episode.
While it is hoped that something like this does not ever occur again, the authorities have to be always be prepared for such eventualities, and to deal with them in an efficient and professional way.
One area that needs examining is assistance to the relatives, to help them cope with the trauma of the situation. While kidnapping is not a regular crime in Guyana, we must try to adopt all the best practices in helping victims and their relatives deal with the psychological fallout from these incidents.

Discover more from Kaieteur News

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Latest News