14-year-old sleeping in a 'pen'

Part of the room where a 14 year old boy is being forced to sleep PHOTO BY: ANSEL JEBODH
Part of the room where a 14 year old boy is being forced to sleep PHOTO BY: ANSEL JEBODH

Fed up of inaction by police and the Children's Authority, a Tableland woman took to social media on Wednesday to seek help for her 14-year-old neighbor.

The good samaritan told the Newsday she felt compelled to share the boy's plight with the public, as for the past three months, he has been made to sleep in the downstairs area of his mother's home, next to a room that houses livestock.

She said the boy has special need, is epileptic and suffers from seizures, yet is beaten and cursed daily. The child stayed at her side while she spoke and smiled even as he showed a cut on his wrist, which she said he received as punishment.

She is appealing to the Children's Authority to remove the child from the home immediately.

"The Children's Authority came here twice and both times they warned the mother, but nothing has been done to stop the abuse," said the neighbour."He is beaten, cursed, mistreated in every way, they doesn't give him food. Most of the times, he walks through the village and people give him food and snacks."

The boy has never been to primary school and cannot read nor write. He has trouble speaking and the neighbour said in the six months she has known him, he has not display edany emotions.

"He will bawl when they beating him, but most of the times he is smiling like nothing is happening."

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"14-year-old sleeping in a ‘pen’"

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