'Remove police who don't protect children'

Nadella Oya, founder and director of Create Future Good, on Wednesday called on Commissioner of Police Gary Griffith to reassign or remove immediately officers who do not act adequately to protect children's rights and protect children against violence.

Create Future Good is a social impact enterprise which aims to help children "realise their power." Its work is linked to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals through a partnership with UNICEF.

Oya spoke to Newsday after members of the organisation finished a silent walk around Memorial Park, Port of Spain, in commemoration of children who lost their lives to abuse and violence.

She said protecting children in TT should be the number one priority. She said over the past two decades, more than 1,400 children have lost their lives because of violent acts committed against them.

“Children who have died from abuse and violence were raped six times, hanged with their school belts, sexually abused with a cane stalk, poisoned, thrown out of windows, beaten to death – these are heinous acts of violence against children," she said.

“One would like to believe, if...someone walks into a station and says something is happening with their neighbour’s child, they should act on it. Go and detect and make sure the child is safe."