ATTACKS ON MINORS AT ALARMING LEVEL       RIGHTS ADVOCATES CALL FOR TASK FORCE

Petrina Francis, Staff Reporter, Jamaica Gleaner Editors Forum

Claiming a growing problem of sexual and other abuse of minors, children rights activist Betty-Ann Blaine, yesterday called for the establishment of a national task force to begin to address this deepening crisis.

“We have to be alarmed” Mrs. Blaine, the convenor of the organization, Hear the Children’s Cry, told a Gleaner Editors’ Forum at the company’ North Street offices, downtown Kingston.  “The country is in a crisis as far as our children are concerned and the sexual violence against our children.” Blaine’s call came against the backdrop of a proposal for the Senate for mandatory 25-year jail sentences against child molesters and other convicts of rape as well as for general strengthening of the child protection law to give more power to the Children’s Advocate.

The proposal for tougher action against child abusers, placed on the table by government Senator Norman Grant, was triggered by the apparently rising incidence of murder and rape of children. For instance, there were 105 reported cases of the murders of minors last year and more than 20 so far this year. At yeterday’s Gleaner Editors’ Forum, Blaine said that there were close to 500 reported case of rape against children in 2005.

But Grace Kelly, the President of the Association of Guidance Counsellors, insisted that reported rapes against children do not reflect the real situation.