Where Is the Report on St Michael’s Home?

By Anna Ramdass
Trinidad Express
December 5, 2014

http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/Drayton-Where-is-the-report-on-St-Michaels-Home-284837011.html

Where is the report into St Michael’s Home for Boys? Will Brandon Hargreaves ever get justice?

On Wednesday, Independent Senator Helen Drayton asked why there has not yet been any report, as promised, into the Home and whether any value would be place on Hargreaves life.

Hargreaves, 14, was sent to the institution in 2012 after he was found locked in a dog kennel with a dangerous dog. Reports said he died while play-fighting with another boy at the institution last April.

In July, Attorney General Anand Ramlogan said he asked Acting Commissioner of Police Stephen Williams and Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Roger Gaspard to investigate St Michael’s following allegations of sexual abuse, theft of boys’ property by staff, and neglect, including staff ignoring fights between boys.

These allegations were unearthed in the probe of Hargreaves’ death.

Ramlogan had said there were startling reports of what happened at the Home—that a female member of staff was allowed to take one of the boys to her home, despite allegations of sexual abuse against the said staff member.

The AG had said the same staff member subsequently became pregnant and questions were asked as to the paternity of the child and whether it could be one of the inmates of the Home.

Drayton raised the issue in her contribution to a motion to approve the Foster Care Regulations, 2014 at Wednesday’s Senate sitting at the International Waterfront Centre, Port of Spain.

She also reiterated her call for Government to bring the relevant amendments to change legislation to raise the mandatory school age up to 16 years.

Drayton said the marriage laws must also be amended to raise the age a girl can be married from 11 to 16.

She said while Government can be commended for the progress it has made with respect to legislation to protect children, it was contradictory to what currently exists.

“The contradictions are staring at us and we are not dealing with it and I don’t understand why,” said Drayton.

Minister of Local Government Marlene Coudray said the People’s Partnership Government did increase the mandatory school age for children to 16 and it would be effected with the proclamation of the Children’s Authority legislation.

Coudray also said St Michael’s Home did not become a “house of horrors’’ under the present Government.

“I want to put on the record that the St Michael School for Boys did not get so overnight, nor did it get like that in 2010 when this Government got in office. It is constant mismanagement and neglect of that school over the years that has brought it to this stage,” she said.

Coudray noted that the institution was managed by the Anglican Diocese for orphaned and homeless boys and problems started when juveniles accused of crimes were also placed in the Home.

She said unless this “mixing” was addressed, “No Government can deal with this so-called house of horrors”.

Coudray said the people of this country also have to come together and lend help as it was not on the onus of the Government alone.

Contact: anna.ramdass@trinidadexpress.com