25 girls pregnant

CHAIRMAN of the Children's Authority Hanif Benjamin yesterday expressed concern and outrage over reports that the Children Protection Unit (CPU) of the police service is actively investigating cases in which at least 25 girls, between the ages of 13 and 17, are pregnant after being sexually assaulted. And these are cases the police are aware of.

The 25 pregnancies are all in Western Division and involve rapes which took place between January 2017 and this year. CPU sources said that in many instances, the suspects are teenagers themselves or relatives of the impregnated minors.

On Wednesday, a 33-year-old Diego Martin man was charged with three counts of sexual penetration against a 13-year-old girl who is now six months pregnant. In another incident, a 15-year-old Barataria teenager is now five months pregnant for a 19-year-old man from west Trinidad. He is yet to be detained.

The CPU, sources said, receives at least two reports a month of teenage victims who have been impregnated. They said many of the cases are only reported after the victim's parents realise the child is showing clear signs of pregnancy.

Chairman Benjamin expressed deep concern over the number of underage girls being sexually assaulted and in some cases, impregnated. “Any statistic where children are impregnated is a worrying concern and it should be a worrying concern to all of us, more so the Children’s Authority."

He said this is a situation has been plaguing TT for a long time and more must be done to the children. "We need to have more prosecutions and we have to do more with our teenagers who are becoming mothers. This is a national issue which needs to be addressed. All child welfare agencies, government and non-government agencies need to address this as soon as possible.

"Personally, I am also outraged when our children are abused. That is why we at the Children’s Authority are doing everything that is under our purview.”

Police statistics show that since May 2015, 552 people have been charged for offences against children under the Children's Act. Of those, 73 were charged in 2015; 184 in 2016; 289 in 2017 and six people up till March of this year.

In noting a high percentage of sexual penetration of a child and sexual touching of a child, sources disclosed that in 2015, there were 98 sexual offences committed against minors of which 61 involved sexual penetration and 28 involved sexual touching.

In 2016, of the 370 charges of sexual assault, 199 involved sexual penetration and 69 involved sexual touching. In 2017, of 406 charges, 244 involved sexual penetration and 78, sexual touching and of the 50 charges, 30 involved sexual penetration and 19 sexual touching.