CPFSA providing support for 14-y-o seen in video being beaten by security guard
Published:Monday | January 29, 2024 | 6:49 PM
The Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA) says it has been made aware of an incident in which a 42-year-old security guard attacked and beat a 14-year-old student at a bus stop in St Andrew.
The agency says that they are reaching out to the teen to ensure his well being and offer the necessary interventions that he and his family may need.
The incident happened on Thursday, January 25; and the man has since been charged with assault occasioning bodily harm and malicious destruction of property.
According to the CEO of the CPFSA, Laurette Adams-Thomas: “We have been made aware of this troubling incident and we are in the process of reaching out to the boy and his family to ascertain the level of psychological, psycho-social and any other forms of intervention that he will need. We will do everything in our power to help him heal from this ordeal.”
She continued, “The CPFSA and our parent ministry, the Ministry of Education and Youth, continue to staunchly condemn all forms of child abuse. We are reminding adults that you need to be the voice of reason when you are dealing with children, especially during times of conflict. Children live what they learn, so it is important that we find alternative and more positive ways of approaching them. We cannot meet them with violence and expect them to grow into adults that can peacefully resolve conflict.”
Adams-Thomas further sought to remind and encourage persons to report any and all forms of child abuse using the 24-hour child abuse reporting hotline 211.
She also noted that child abuse reports may be made through WhatsApp/text at 876-878-2882, e-mail report@childprotection.gov.jm, by visiting any CPFSA parish office, or through the agency's social media pages (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter) @cpfsajm.
Follow The Gleaner on X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram @JamaicaGleaner and on Facebook @GleanerJamaica. Send us a message on WhatsApp at 1-876-499-0169 or email us at onlinefeedback@gleanerjm.com or editors@gleanerjm.com.