Editorial
The Childcare and Protection Agency has come under fire for failing 16-year-old Neesa Gopaul, a teen whose troubled life, prior to her gruesome death, was known to them. Resultant from this case is information surfacing about the extent of work and the strain under which the agency works. It has been disclosed that the Human Services Ministry, which is responsible for the Childcare and Protection Agency, has received 3,175 reports of child abuse over the past three years. Subject minister Priya Manickchand said that “all were investigated”, but there are some cases that are still being probed. Of the 3,175 cases, 602 were sexual abuse complaints. Concerns are rife that more children are being abused, one way or the other, but these abuses are not being reported.
Ostensibly, this would mean that the childcare agency, which is already overwhelmed, would be even more affected if it is not prepared to handle an increase in complaints; and this, in turn, would erode confidence in its work. While an increase in child abuse complaints is undesirable, the increase, for the agency, means that the public has confidence in what it does and, as such, needs its help. The Human Services Ministry needs to ensure that this confidence is not damaged in light of the Gopaul case, since it needs the public’s cooperation to combat child abuse.
The young girl’s death is inexcusable, so it is hoped that none of the stakeholders who have failed her attempts to excuse their negligence. According to reports, one official has already stated that it is normal to have breaches in systems, and it has happened all over the world. Some of the agency’s workers have also cited poor working conditions and poor communication as responsible for the agency’s mistakes. Neither of these factors, nor prior success of the agency, pardons it for the negligence shown in Gopaul’s case.
Child abuse is increasing, which means that children are not as safe as we think. The Human Services Ministry has to do damage control for the inefficiency displayed by the childcare agency, and ensure that these abuses in children are stopped. We are happy to learn that the ministry aims to implement new systems to ensure that the breaches made by the agency do not recur, and that all of Guyana’s children are protected from abusers.
In an earlier comment, we had called for culpable workers to be dismissed and we stand by that call. We do not see this as being harsh, because those workers would only lose their jobs; Neesa Gopaul lost her life. There is no comparison. We also maintain our calls for the police officers who failed the teen to be dismissed; or disciplined. Furthermore, we expect the Human Services and Home Affairs ministries to cooperate in tackling the issues of child abuse, and how various stakeholders should respond to it.
Notwithstanding the childcare agency’s failure, the Human Services Ministry remains a very important ministry because it offers invaluable help to Guyanese in troubling circumstances. What this ministry needs to become more efficient are stricter protocols and monitoring systems, and more funding. And, for the sake of Guyana’s children, it should be endowed with these resources.
