Crimes against women, children on the decline, says Chang

Livern Barrett, Senior Gleaner Writer

There has been a 29 per cent reduction in the number of children killed in Jamaica this year, Minister of National Security Dr Horace Chang has revealed.

Despite this, Chang says the government has "grave concerns" that attacks on vulnerable groups such as women and children "appear to be more heinous and barbaric."

According to Chang, 38 children have been killed across the island since January 1, a 29 per cent decrease when compared with the corresponding period last year.

"The forever silent voices of 38 of our children that were taken from us...like Yettanya Francis and 14-year-old Raven Wilson saddens and shame us as a nation," he said in a statement to Parliament on Tuesday.

"The slaughter of Deon Smith and her 16-year-old daughter Jayshenel Gordon as well as the saying of 25-year-old Khyhymn Campbell...indicate a level of callousness in the souls of some of our citizens," Chang added.

As part of efforts to provide greater protection to vulnerable groups, the security minister noted that a joint select committee of both Houses of Parliament recently concluded a review of several pieces of legislation.

These include the Sexual Offences Act, the Domestic Violence Act, the Child Care and Protection Act and the Offences Against the Person Act.

"At the heart of this review was the special emphasis placed on the protection of the vulnerable - women and children - from violence and abuse," Chang said.

Fitz Jackson, Member of Parliament for South St Catherine, while welcoming the focus on the protection of vulnerable groups, warned against a knee-jerk approach.

"We have to approach the solutions in a more deliberate way and that can only be done by doing some studies where we can collect data that can inform the approaches that would be more appropriate," Jackson suggested.  

We want to hear from you! Send us a message on WhatsApp at 1-876-499-0169, email us at editors@gleanerjm.com or onlinefeedback@gleanerjm.com.