Some 878 reports of serious crime committed against children were reported to the Child Protection Unit (CPU) of the TT Police Service (TTPS) for 2018.
At the weekly police briefing at the police headquarters, Port of Spain yesterday, Actin Supt Sharon Gomez-Cooper said the CPU has recorded a 12 per cent decrease in reports when compared to 1,006 in 2017.
“Sexual touching and sexual penetration continue to be the most prevalent. There were 140 reports of sexual touching and 348 reports of sexual penetration, for the period under review in 2018, versus 119 and 351 such reports respectively, in 2017.”
Gomez-Cooper said while children are on their July/August vacation, children are usually left unsupervised or with minimal supervision due to many factors, one of which is the need for parents/guardians to be breadwinners. However, she encouraged parents to make use of the members of the various police youth clubs in their communities which cater to the youth aged five to 25 years.
She said the police youth club promotes emotional, physical, educational, social and holistic development of the child.
“In the case of younger children, the option of daycare can be explored. Parents, please research the daycare facility where you propose to leave your child or children. Find out about the persons who are going to be in charge of your children, the safety measures that are in place to secure your children, and who has access to the facility.
“Again, parents must be aware of the persons running these camps. The co-ed aspect must also be considered, as the interactions between the sexes, particularly adolescents, can prove to be a very sensitive issue. The option to leave your children in the care and custody of relatives is another option which is practical and cost effective.”
Gomez-Cooper also encouraged parents to pay close attention to their children who use their electronic devices to be on social media. She said social media may be considered the preferred means of communication today, more so with children, but they must be monitored.
ORIGINAL STORY:
SERIOUS crime against children have been trending downwards for this year, the Child Protection Unit (CPU) has reported. For this year, 878 reports of serious crime committed against children were made to the Child Protection Unit (CPU) of the TT Police Service (TTPS).
Speaking today at the weekly police briefing at the police headquarters in Port of Spain, acting Supt Sharon Gomez-Cooper said this 878 reported cases means a 12 per cent decrease in reports of serious crime when compared to 1,006 made in the corresponding period in 2017.
“Sexual touching and sexual penetration continue to be the most prevalent. There were 140 reports of sexual touching and 348 reports of sexual penetration, for the period under review in 2018, versus 119 and 351 such reports respectively, in 2017.”
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"Serious crimes against children on the decrease"