TTUTA outraged by Marabella boy's murder

LINKING the rise in school violence and indiscipline to toxic situations in homes, the TT Unified Teachers Association (TTUTA) is calling on the government to do more to save the youths.

TTUTA’s president Martin Lum Kin, on Thursday, spoke to Newsday about the death of schoolboy Noel Thomas, who was killed while he slept with his mother, Hollice Skinner Thomas, at their Marabella home on Tuesday.

“I cannot understand the slaughtering of children," said Lum Kin. "I cannot understand why people would do that.

“TTUTA is always concerned when students die or are killed under such tragic and traumatic circumstances. We express condolences and our sympathy to his family, teachers and his peers at the Ste Madeleine Government Primary School.”

He said the killing brings to the fore the unhealthy situations in which many children grow up.

Stressing that parents are the first teachers, Lum Kin said many of the traumatic behaviours children live and learn from them are often manifested in the school environment. He attributed this to the spiralling violent incidents which are now publicly highlighted on social media.

“This incident underlines TTUTA’s point that more needs to be done to fix school violence and indiscipline.

“The school is merely a microcosm of the society and what goes on in society is reflected in the schools.

“I call on Government to ensure that all our citizens are safe, especially our children.”

He suggested intervention in homes and teaching conflict resolution and mediation in situations where adults find difficulty managing emotional and psychological issues.

“Those actions by adults can be brought to bear on other persons in the family, including children, who unfortunately act out what they live.”

He called for family and community support in such circumstances.

Alluding to reports that the murdered mother and son previously lived in a home with a history of domestic abuse, of which both were victims, Lum Kin expressed outrage.

A 2019 newspaper reported a court matter in which Thomas, 40, a Guyanese security guard, was assaulted and Noel, then four, was chased by a male relative with a chopper. The man was subsequently charged and served a prison term.

At that hearing, Thomas told the magistrate about another incident the year before. She said she was fearful for her life, but the police never took her case seriously.

Thomas and her son were discovered in their bedroom around 9.05 am on Tuesday by her common-law-husband, Marcus John.

John, a taxi driver, said he left their rented apartment at Battoo Street, Marabella, around 6 am, and returned three hours later to be met by mother and son lying in their own blood.

Noel died on the scene and Thomas died of her injuries at the San Fernando General Hospital, where she was taken for emergency treatment.

Autopsies done on Thursday showed that Noel was chopped on the neck, while his mother was stabbed multiple times.

Investigations are continuing.