Dear Editor,
Two weekends ago I had cause to call the Child Protection Hotline. A child in a neighbouring yard was being beaten by an adult, with the sounds of the abuse coming loud and clear through the walls of the house. I know beating children is still common practice in Guyana, but it is not something I condone. I could not personally go into the yard where the abuse was occurring because dogs, including a pit bull, were loose, so I decided to call the Child Protection Hotline, having heard that that was what you were supposed to do in cases like this. I provided the location of the house and as much information as I could to the person who answered the phone and she promised that it would be checked out within 72 hours, as was the agency’s protocol. Three days later, I decided to call back to follow up on the story. I was shocked, however, to be told by the supervisor – Mr Robertson – that there was no record of my call!
I am now wondering how often this happens, and how many other reports of child abuse are not recorded or followed up. I am also wondering what system of checks, oversight, and accountability are in place to make sure that ‘mistakes’ like this do not regularly occur. The Child Protection Hotline is a critical tool in ensuring the safety and wellbeing of the children of Guyana, and it’s critical that all efforts are made to have it function effectively. Additionally, we – members of the public who are trying to do the right thing and take action to right the wrongs that we see in our communities – also need to have confidence in these services. ‘Mistakes’ like this can mean the difference between life and death.
I hereby call upon those responsible for the operation of the Child Protection Hotline to clarify their intake procedures, to describe their monitoring and evaluation system, and to reassure the Guyanese public that they are indeed doing what they’re supposed to do, not just telling us one thing and doing another.
Yours faithfully,
(Name and address provided)