(Trinidad Express) Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar on Friday met with the 14-year-old girl who had created a YouTube video hurling offensive remarks towards Persad-Bissessar, in relation to the State of Emergency and curfew restrictions imposed in the country, almost two weeks ago.
The schoolgirl, referring to herself as “Granny Quila”, posted a video on two social networking sites, YouTube and Facebook, where she hurled remarks at Persad-Bissessar in relation to the declaration of a State of Emergency and curfew restrictions in certain communities.
Attorney General Anand Ramlogan two Saturdays ago said the video was forwarded to Police Commissioner Dwayne Gibbs for the incident to be investigated. Gibbs has confirmed that a police probe has been launched into the incident and remains ongoing.
That investigation is being led by ACP Harold Phillip, head of Anti-Crime Operations.
Last Sunday, the schoolgirl posted a second video where she apologised to Persad-Bissessar for the offensive video.
Persad-Bissessar during a recent ceremony in Penal said she accepted the teenager’s apology.
A statement posted on the PM’s Facebook wall on Friday stated that she met with the teenager regarding the video. The statement is as follows:
The Honourable Kamla Persad-Bissessar Prime Minister today met with the young lady alleged to have created a hostile video blog posted on a number of social networks. The Honourable Prime Minister, along with Minister of Gender, Youth and Child Development, Senator the Honourable Verna St Rose Greaves, met with the young teen, who was accompanied by her mother and legal representative.
The Honourable Prime Minister appeased the visibly distressed teenager, and later stated it was her duty as a mother and grandmother that motivated her to encourage an audience with the young teen.
“I am heartened by this encounter, and I take this opportunity to encourage parents to hold your children closer to you. They are our cherished future, a future for which we must guard jealously. What I saw today was a terrified child. A child for whom we must support, a child for whom we must help to understand that with rights, come responsibility, and such is the responsibility for which we must all contribute.”
