Webster-Roy: Murders of teenage boys show children must be protected from gangs

The recent murders of two 15-year-old boys in Laventille were "senseless" and showed more must be done to protect children from being lured by gangs, Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister Ayanna Webster-Roy said on Friday.

"This senseless killing must end. We must insist on a zero tolerance for gangs and violent culture being spread among our young and impressionable boys and girls," she said in her contribution to debate on the Anti Gang Bill 2021 in the House of Representatives. The Opposition boycotted the debate out of safety concerns as the Prime Minister has covid19.

The minister was referring to an incident at one of the Children's Authority's safe houses last month which led to the escape of five teenage boys and two of them – Antonio Francois and Semion Daniel – were subsequently murdered in Laventille. Two boys are back in safe custody and one is yet to be found.

Webster-Roy explained the bill has provisions in it which makes it an offence to lure children into criminal gangs. She lamented that some members of criminal gangs may themselves be considered as children.

As she recalled the saying about it taking a village to raise child, Webster-Roy highlighted the vacant opposition benches on the other side of the Parliament chamber.

"The Opposition is part of the village," she said.

Since 2015, the OPM's Gender and Child Affairs Division launched several initiatives to protect TT's women and children, she said.

Webster-Roy said even in financially challenging times, Finance Minister Colm Imbert has ensured the Children's Authority has received the funding it needs to perform its functions.

"From 2016 to date, the authority has expended a total of $344,200,000. This sum represents an average increase of expenditure of 16 per cent each year to support the protection and care of our children." Webster-Roy said Government "acting as a responsible arm of the village" has also looked at the care of children in private facilities.

"The Government introduced a payment per child system. This payment to private children's homes ensures a high quality of care of children and that their basic needs are adequately met."

She said $33,629,000 has been spent on this initiative since 2016.

"These children also benefit from a medical grant of up to $2,000 per child for medical services not accessible in the public health system."

Webster-Roy said the bill sends a clear message to criminals.

"Stay away from our children and stay away from our families," she said.

Webster-Roy and Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi were the only MPs who spoke in the brief debate, before the bill was eventually passed by the 19 government MPs who were present. The bill was previously passed in the Senate on on March 16 by a vote of 24 to six. All nine independent senators joined the 15 government senators to support the bill’s passage.

Unlike its 2020 predecessor which required a three-fifths majority for passage, the bill only required a simple majority to be passed in the House and Senate. Before Friday's sitting, the Opposition was silent on whether or not it would support the bill.