Reluctance to address institutional deficiencies leaves children at risk - Rights Activist

Reluctance to address institutional deficiencies leaves children at risk – Rights Activist

Nov 26, 2017 News

Rights activist, Karen De Souza

Women’s rights activist, Karen De Souza, believes that there is a direct link between the reluctance by those in authority to address institutional deficiencies and acts of sexual violence committed on children
De Souza has joined the call for reforms in the education system to eliminate incidence of sexual crimes.
Her comments come on the heels of reports that a male teacher at Bishops’ High School over a number of years developed sexual relationships with his students.
In expressing her concerns, the rights activist noted that it is imperative to deal with the reports of prolonged and systematic predation by the teacher as well as others matters involving sexual crimes against children.
She pointed to the case of the underage child who was recently raped by a city constable in the city constabulary premises.
In each case, De Souza noted that people in authority acted “without regard to their duty to protect our children and without regard for the law.”
“What all these cases have in common is that they reek of a lack of respect for the rights of children as children,” she said.
Speaking specifically about the circumstances of the case at Bishops’ High School, De Souza recommends that steps be taken by current and former students who have been abused to make reports to the police so that the law can be used to address the unlawful behaviour of the teacher.
Turning her attention to Government agencies, the rights activist noted that the Ministry of Education and the Teaching Service Commission and their successive administrations have been guilty of covering for accused child molesters in the schools by transferring them from one place to another – presumably because they were “good teachers” we could not afford to lose.
De Souza has since called for an end to this practice. The Education Ministry is not the only Government agency guilty of not doing enough to ensure the safety of children, she said.
“The Ministry of Social Protection must also explain why, seven years after the enactment of the sexual offences law and two years after the coalition assumed office, it has still not activated a functional National Task Force as called for in the Sexual Offences Act Part ix, Prevention which has among other responsibilities, public education and the creation of a national plan for the prevention of sexual offences.”

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