Of laws without teeth
The following is an open letter to Ministers Olivia ‘Babsy’ Grange, Floyd Green, and CISOCA.
Of what use are laws when they are not enforced?
There is supposed to be a law on the books that speaks to the need for doctors and medical personnel to inform the police when a child has become pregnant and is in their care.
Recently, for the second time in recent months, I was dumbstruck by a media report.
The Amanda Alert system was established to alert the public about missing children.
Imagine my shock when in both cases, minors were being reported missing with their children. In the most recent case, it was a 16-year-old. along with her four month old baby!
Regrettably, these are not isolated cases. A 21-year-old mother lost her six-year-old child in a car crash earlier this month. Obviously, she, too conceived and gave birth before reaching the age of consent. Now, unless these births and deliveries took place in total secrecy, someone ought to be held responsible.
There was a case years ago when the mother of the pregnant child, when questioned as to why she had not reported the matter to the police, is reported to have asked who would support the baby if the father was in prison.
Maybe it’s time to hold the mothers, doctors, and medical personnel responsible. DONALD PLUMMER