-parents still to be found
The seven abandoned siblings who were rescued by the Child Care and Protection Unit in Linden last month are now in the care of a Linden family while there has been no word about the whereabouts of their parents.
The children, whose ages range from 15 months to 14 years, were found at Siberia, commonly called ‘Old England.’ They were subsequently placed in the care of the Linden Hospital Complex by Child Care Officer Amril Beckles. They spent over a week in the facility before a family, moved by their story, opened their doors to them.
According to Beckles, a few relatives had come forward indicating their interests in caring for the children. However, she noted that they were very young and lacked the wherewithal to effectively care for the children. “Some cousins and other relatives came forward and were very concerned about them and wanted to take them but we couldn’t turn them over to them because they were too young, in their early 20s and so,” she explained
Recently, a mature female Lindener offered to house and care for the children. Through the office of the Child Protection Agency, the Linden Salvation Council (LSC) and other individuals, the children were provided with clothing and other necessities. Those of school age are expected to be back at school by the beginning of the week. The LSC will also be providing daily meals for the children.
Last month, Beckles had received an anonymous call from a female indicating that the children were left on their own for more than two months and their parents, Ann Bacchus and Rupert Ross, had gone to the interior. She went to the area in the company of police officers and found the children about a third of a mile off the road in an isolated bushy area. The place the children called home was a tarpaulin being held up by a few wattles, with a few zinc sheets to create a wall, leaving them open to the elements. The 14-year-old girl was found caring for her siblings. The children were scantily clad and one of them, a three-year-old boy, had no clothes of his own.
The children then told Beckles that they had two older siblings, a 16-year-old brother who had gone “into the bush” and a 17-year-old sister, who they said they had not seen in months. The children also said that they begged for alms in order to eat.
The grandmother of the three youngest, who lives nearby, had said that she was ailing and could not assist the children in any way. She said that their eldest brother worked on a farm and would return home every evening.
