Mary Clarke: Be more vigilant with our children's security
Published:Tuesday | August 31, 2010 | 12:00 AM
Nadisha Hunter, Gleaner Writer
Children's Advocate Mary Clarke is calling for parents to be more careful in protecting the nation's children.
Her emotional plea came hours after three siblings were burnt to death in a fire which destroyed their house at Clay Ground in Bamboo, St Ann, last Saturday night.
They are 17-year-old Moya Barrett and her six-year-old twin sisters, Taneisha and Teneisha Calder.
"It is a very awful tragedy. It's a wake-up call for persons to be vigilant with safety and security measures for the children," Clarke argued.
With just a week to go before most schools reopen for the new school year, Clarke said it would be a traumatic experience for students at the institutions the girls attended.
"At the beginning of the school year, we want our children to be safe and this is going to be sad for the children at their schools," Clarke charged.
In the meantime, member of parliament (MP) for St Ann North Western, Othniel Lawrence, has expressed shock and sadness at the loss of the three young lives.
"I am deeply saddened by this tragic fire. I went to the scene and members of the community wept. Gloom has taken over their lives in this senseless tragedy," he said. "I must express my profound condolence to the family and friends of Moya, Taneisha and Teneisha."
The MP added that he was especially saddened because he was in the process of offering tertiary-education assistance to Moya, a former student of Ferncourt High School, following her success in the recent Caribbean Secondary Education Certi-ficate exams.
Lawrence expressed his appreciation for the professionalism demonstrated by members of the St Ann Fire Department and the police in responding to the tragedy.
According to the Constabulary Communication Network, about 10 p.m., neighbours saw fire coming from the house and alerted the police and fire departments. One unit from the St Ann's Bay Fire Department responded.
However, the flames reportedly engulfed the house before firefighters arrived. The firemen carried out cooling-down operations.
The charred remains of the girls were later found among the rubble. They were removed to the morgue.
The Bamboo police are investigating.