Mother’s questions unanswered

MELANIE Cruickshank-Belgrave wants to know exactly what her 17-year old son Joshua Borneo was exposed to while in the custody of the Children’s Authority when he committed suicide. He was found hanging in the bathroom of the Children’s Authority’s Child Support Centre (CSC) in Valsayn in June 2017.

She sought answers from the authority, but was told many of the reports she wanted were exempt under the Freedom of Information Act and/or that the authority did not consider disclosure of the information to be in the public’s interest. The teenager was placed in the CSC in January of 2017.

He had been in several community residences between August 2015 and June 2017, after he was handed over to the authority by the police’s child protection unit when he ran away from home. On Friday last, Justice Kevin Ramcharan, sitting in the San Fernando High Court, granted Cruickshank-Belgrave leave to seek answers from the Authority and question the decision not to disclose the documents

She said she had been previously refused disclosure of documents sought under the FOIA. The mother is represented by attorneys Anand Ramlogan, SC, Jared Jagroo, Ganesh Saroop and Kavita Sarran and the Children’s Authority is represented by Denelle Singh and Renuka Rambhajan instructed Kyle Dalrymple. Cruickshank-Belgrave wants copies of any correspondence sent from or received by the authority regarding her son.

She also wants the composition and qualifications of the staff in charge of the “safe house” in Valsayn and the amount of residents that were residing there when her son was admitted. She wants a list of all doctors, psychologists, medical institutions or other professionals who attended to him, administered any care or were assigned to conduct any tests, assessments or other form of treatment as well as his journal, among other information. She has also asked for an order compelling the authority to provide the information. In her lawsuit, Cruikshank-Belgrave says there is a public interest to be served to determine culpability in her judicial review claim. “The disclosure of the documents would assist in ascertaining those who may be liable for the loss of Joshua’s life.

“The incident was the subject of intense media coverage and generated a significant amount of public commentary. The public at large would be affected. “It is therefore in the public interest to have full disclosure that would facilitate culpable parties, if any, being held to account for the death of a minor and therefore avoid any such future ocurrence.”