TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO
Guardian
Published:
Thursday, August 8, 2013
Geisha Kowlessar
Minister of Gender, Youth and Child Development, Marlene Coudray, yesterday warned managers and caregivers of children’s homes they would feel the full brunt of the law if it was found children have been abused in any form. She made the comment at the formal opening of four newly-constructed residential units at the St Mary’s Children’s Home, Tacarigua, saying Government may soon take the action of placing cameras within homes to monitor activity.
“The abuse of children would be met with aggressive action from this ministry and we are now setting up mechanisms by which we can monitor,” she said, when asked about how the ministry could put mechanisms in place to ensure children were properly taken care of. “One of the options we have is to install cameras that can be monitored remotely. We know there is privacy and other issues involved but I want to assure the ministry is actively working on reports of abuse,” she added.
Saying she was not singling out the St Mary’s Home, Coudray said she made the remark after several complaints of abuse at children’s homes had reached the ministry. Urging that at all times children need love, care and guidance, Coudray said a child was most confident when he or she was exposed to such qualities. The St Mary’s Home, Coudray said, would serve as a model on which other children’s homes would be fashioned.
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