The Twenty-Third Meeting of the CARICOM Council on Human and Social Development (COHSOD XXIII) this week in Georgetown decided that it will focus on plugging the gaps in existing legislation, to guarantee mandatory reporting of sexual abuse and enforce full protection for the region’s children.
COHSOD also recognised the interrelated and mutually reinforcing nature of all forms of abuse – physical, sexual, emotional, mental, and neglect, including medical neglect – and agreed to take urgent collaborative action to ensure that all perpetrators are brought to justice and that they receive the full force of the law, according to a press release from the Caricom Secretariat at Turkeyen.
And in dealing with this pressing issue, COHSOD stated that it will continue to advocate with member states for the creation of safe spaces, in which victims and others affected are free to report and speak out against sexual abuse without fear of recrimination.
In the meantime, COHSOD reviewed the overwhelming evidence documented in recent studies that points to new and emerging forms of abuse against both girls and boys.
COHSOD also denounced all forms of abuse of children, recognising that other forms of abuse provide preconditions and the environment for sexual abuse. In addition, COHSOD emphasised the need to challenge concertedly and decisively, the deeply entrenched cultural practices and norms that condone violence and violate the rights of children and youth in the region.
The council also recognised the urgent need to expose these atrocities, remove the veil of secrecy and break the silence that shrouds these practices.
It recognised too the imperative of developing an integrated approach – combining strong responsive and preventive measures that emphasize child care and protection, and those to end impunity.
Moreover, accepting that no form of violence against children – particularly sexual violence – can be justified or condoned, COHSOD committed to working collaboratively with partners and stakeholders to launch public education campaigns to promote the message that children have the right to justice and to a safe and nurturing environment, the release concluded.
