Should SOE Minor Remain at New Beginnings Until He’s 18

The thirteen-year-old who was taken to the Wagner’s Youth Facility during the State of Emergency was transferred to the New Beginnings Youth Centre on the George Price Highway. It is where many people feel he should have been taken in the first place. Today, the Commissioner of Police, Chester Williams and the Minister of Home Affairs, Kareem Musa, gave their perspectives on the matter.

 

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police

“The fact that he had been shot on the ninth of March this year after eight p.m., at night, one would then wonder what was a thirteen-year-old doing on the street around nine at night to have been shot? Where was the parent? There is still the curfew law that prohibits any child under the age of sixteen to be out in public after eight p.m., absent any parent or guardian. So in that particular instance, the mother could have been held accountable for what happened to the child. Subsequent to that, we had two other reports of the child being involved in gunplay going after people with intent to shoot them. And so there was sufficient for us to have been able to take him under the S.O.E. And I still believe it was the right thing to do. Now, when we look at this whole situation, the child is now at the New Beginnings. I believe that sending him there is a good thing, but we have to look at it more broadly. What else can be done? The mother is fighting for the child to be released, but does she have the capacity to take care of that child? If you look at the history, the child’s father was a street figure. He was killed. The child’s stepfather is a street figure. The mother is absent. So if the child is released back to her how can she act in the best interest of that child, as stated by the Families and Children Act? I don’t think she has the capacity. So if it is that something can be done where the child can be taken in as a ward of the state and kept at New Beginnings until he attains the age of eighteen, I think that would be the best thing for that child in this particular instance because at New Beginnings, he’ll be able to get the mentorship that he needs the guidance that he needs to be able to transform him and become a more productive young person. If he’s let back on the streets in the hands of the mother, we might report of him being killed or him killing somebody. So as a society, we need to look at it holistically and not just try to demonize the system for what was being done.”

 

Kareem Musa, Minister of Home Affairs

“While at Wagner’s Youth Facility, he was in protective custody, as were the other minors. I believe there are eight total, two of them under the age of sixteen. The others I believe are seventern, seven of them.  And so having them in protective custody in the first instance was important because when you put him automatically at new beginnings, you’re not taking into consideration the best interests of the children who are new beginnings because we’re dealing here with an individual who it is alleged is dangerous. And so you have to look at whether he’s a danger to himself, whether he’s a danger to others. And it is in conjunction with the Ministry of Human Development and UNICEF that we took a visit, myself, Ms. Alison Parker from UNICEF, the CEO from the Ministry of Human Development and Home Affairs visited the Wagner Youth Facility and had an opportunity to speak with these young men.”