Unscrupulous persons who profit from child beggars may soon find themselves facing prosecution.
The Childcare Protection Agency (CPA) in a release yesterday disclosed that it is lobbying to have parents, guardians and anyone who places a child in a vulnerable position, including forcing them to beg in the streets, be charged and “face the full brunt of the law.”
CPA Director, Ann Greene said the move follows “increasing and alarming” reports received of children begging on the streets.
“I want to state clearly, I will be working with law enforcement to curb this appalling infringement of a child. We have reports of when the children return home, the adults take the money to buy drugs and alcohol. We have adults renting babies to go out and beg. We have entrenched beggars, who make it a family business,” Greene declared.