Conditions in the “Quiet Room” at NOC violate rights

May 17, 2014 News

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By Latoya Giles
Child Rights Activist, Nicole Cole, has said that the mere fact that children at the New Opportunity Corps are placed semi-nude in a “quiet room” is a violation of that child’s fundamental right.
Culture Minister, Dr. Frank Anthony, on Thursday said that he could not agree with the statement that there is a “detention room” at the New Opportunity Corps (NOC) but rather that there is a “quiet room”.
There are reports that the “detention room” is even worse than the Brickdam Police lockups, and that it is for children who “misbehave”. Minister Anthony said that he is aware of a “quiet room” but would not be able to know if there’s a separate room.
“Is that a standard operating procedure, in this kind of torture camp style?” Cole queried yesterday during an interview with Kaieteur News. According to Cole that kind of treatment goes hand in hand with “Prisoners of War”.
“You have them semi nude but what could these children have done to be awarded such inhumane treatment?” Cole asked.
Cole said that she did not see the nexus in punishing the child and removing the clothing. Cole further questioned the reason for a “quite room” at the NOC.
“Is it to punish or change the behaviour or have them stay silent?”
Cole said that there is need for a rethink of punitive measures. “Guyana is a signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Child and it’s not right to put children in their underwear as a form of punishment. That alone says directly that something is wrong with the institution,” Cole told Kaieteur News.
The Minister sought to explain to the media the grounds that would warrant officials to send “students” to the “quiet room.” Anthony said that if one is to visit the NOC, there are open dormitories and from time to time the students would fight.
“What we do is separate the aggressors,” the Minister told the media. Dr. Anthony was further grilled about whether in this “quiet room” there are containers for the “students” to defecate and urinate in. He maintained that the children are only in the “quiet room” for a limited time and are given meals.
“We can’t starve anyone; if you check the budget we are given adequate money for this cause,” the Minister said.
He said that rules of institution do not allow for children to be kept there for more than 24 hours. “If children are kept for so long we should investigate that claim,” Anthony said.
When pressed further about whether the children are placed into this “quiet room” practically naked, Mark Dover, an official at NOC, said that the males are only allowed to wear “boxers”. He said that it was a security measure taken by the NOC.
Medex Carol Daniels, who is also stationed at the NOC, said that the females are placed into the “quiet room” in “tights” and brassieres. She said, however, that it is the same bra straps the females would use to tie around their necks. She said that there have been cases like that before.
Daniels said that she would make checks on the females in the company of other staff members. She maintained that there have been no cases where an actual bra was removed, even though she said that they would use it to tie around their necks.
Daniels said that females are given a medical examination which consists of “cavity searches” when they have absconded from the NOC. According to Daniels, the females would be told what is being done before the actual examination is done.
According to the woman, the teenage girls would lie on examination tables, covered, and she would examine them. The medex said that she would never insert her fingers.
“I’m so trained that I know what I’m looking for without any insertion…so I’m just looking to see any lacerations or penetrations,” the medex told the media.
Within the last week several allegations have been emanating from the NOC about caregivers committing sex acts on teenagers. Parents of teenagers have come forward and told harrowing stories about sexual abuse.
Cole has also called for the total “shut down” and a total revamp and sanitation of the system should be conducted forthwith.
Cole said that if there is a next institution, social workers need to be at the forefront and lead the cause
On Friday, Head of the Child Care and Protection Agency, Ann Greene, secured a High Court order to remove four of the teenage girls from the NOC. Greene said that the girls will remain in protective custody.
Last Wednesday Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Jennifer Webster, said that she had asked the Child Care and Protection Agency to investigate the alleged sexual molestation of female inmates of the New Opportunity Corps.

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