Perm Sec: Abusers at children's homes have left or died

ALL staff members identified in the Judith Jones report on rampant abuse in State-assisted children’s homes, have either left the job or died, said Vijay Gangapersad – Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) on Monday.

He spoke at a virtual briefing held by Ayanna Webster-Roy, Minister in the OPM responsible for gender and children’s affairs. She also announced a delay in the proclamation of the law to allow unlicensed homes more time to become compliant.

Gangapersad said, “Every single case, from what I was told, of matters being mentioned in those reports, were committed by people who would have left the organisation for one reason or the other, or in some cases, would have died.

Gangapersad gave no details as to the number of staffers involved, whether they were referred to the police, and how their leaving had occurred such as by suspension, termination, resignation or retirement.

Webster-Roy said the police are continuing investigations into the multiple reports of abuse.
The report by Jones, the retired appeal court judge, detailed sexual abuse and beatings of children at several homes across both islands, perpetrated variously by staff members, security guards or other children.

Webster-Roy, the Tobago East MP, laid the report in the House of Representatives last April.
She told the briefing that unlicensed homes would be facilitated by a delay from March 31 to July 1, in proclamation of parts of the Children’s Community Residences, Foster Care and Nurseries Act.

Section 3(1) and (2) requires homes to be licensed and section 17 lists penalties for operating if unlicensed, namely an initial $10,000 fine plus $500 per day continuing.

Asked if the homes would be able to become compliant in this extended period, Webster-Roy said she is “forever an optimist.”

With the lowest rated home now at 60 per cent compliant, she said upgrading work should take two months. The minister also advocated a kinship policy for relatives to take children in need plus foster care, as she invited members of the public to offer to provide stable homes for these children.

Webster-Roy said out of 37 homes in TT, some 13 were unlicensed and they accommodated 214 children.

“The level of readiness of the Homes ranges from 61 per cent to 95 per cent.”
She said $2.5 million was allocated for fiscal 2023 to improve homes’ infrastructure towards obtaining fire and public health certificates.

Nine homes applied for this assistance, of which six were approved, two were recommended for approval, while documentation is still being sought for one. The fire service and public health authorities were asked to prioritise inspection of these homes and to expedite submission of related reports.

Webster-Roy said four homes have completed works and two will likely do so by April.
She said before proclamation, all these children must be in licensed homes, not unlicensed.

“The children in these homes are already in a vulnerable situation and many have been in these homes for a number of years and have forged familial-type bonds with staff and other children and attained a level of stability in their life circumstances.

“Considering all factors including the time for unlicensed homes to complete their works, the Government reckons it may not be in the children’s best interest to separate them from their familiar environments, which would cause a level of disruption and which may be detrimental to their well-being, she said.

Further, some homes had special of children such as those with disabilities such that finding alternative accommodation would pose a challenge.

Giving a new time frame for homes to complete their works, she vowed to work assiduously with the Children’s Authority and other stakeholders to complete the work in in the quickest time.