Dear Editor,
I read with interest in your newspaper the story on the teenager whose baby was stolen and later recovered. I like all Guyanese am happy that the baby is safe and sound with its parent/s. However, I was hoping that you would provide some more details, even advocate for this child, but scanning the stories I got nothing.
Firstly, where are this child’s parents (that is the 13 year old)? Your stories mentioned relatives but there is no mention of parents. It also seemed to me that this young woman is/was living alone. Why is a thirteen year old raising a baby? Are there any plans by the governmental and non-governmental social services agencies to step in and render assistance?
More importantly why is a thirteen year old pregnant? Where is the father of the child? If my memory serves me correctly if he is older than 18 isn’t this statutory rape? Shouldn’t he be held accountable for his actions, not to mention offer support to this baby? Please, further investigate this story and through your newspaper advocate for this child.
Lastly, for the people who are morally against corporal punishment here is a child raising a child. It seems to me this is where we should start to develop alternative methods of parenting.
Yours faithfully,
Petal Roberts
Editor’s note
If this mother is indeed thirteen the father may be guilty of statutory rape and should be prosecuted.