10th safe space for child crime victims opens
ANOTHER CHILD-FRIENDLY space has been opened by the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), providing a warm and comforting environment where young victims of human trafficking and other serious crimes can receive support.
The facility, located at the office of the Counterterrorism and Organised Crime Investigation Branch in downtown Kingston, is the second by the JCF and 10th to be launched under the United States (US)-Jamaica Child Protection Compact partnership, which started in 2018.
The first JCF space, based at the Falmouth Police Station in Trelawny, was opened in March 2022.
These safe places help to minimise trauma to child crime victims so that they can be examined, interviewed and referred for appropriate care and services.
Police Commissioner Major General Antony Anderson, who officially opened the facility on Tuesday, said expanding the number of child-friendly spaces will enhance the JCF’s work in combatting human trafficking and violence against children.
He noted that the necessary framework to combat human trafficking is in place, with strong support from the US government and other partners such as the Warnath Group.
“When you have the framework, the leadership with it and the interest and passion, we will get better and better results. We need to make it a situation where, if you embark upon [human trafficking], you have a high probability of being caught, and if you do get caught, you have a high probability of being convicted; and if you do get convicted, you have a high probability of a heavy sentence,” Commissioner Anderson noted.
He urged members of the public to play their role in combatting human trafficking on the island by making the necessary reports to the police.
US Under Secretary of State for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights, Uzra Zeya, said the move demonstrates progress on the mission to combat human trafficking.
“Today marks the opening of a child friendly space right here in Kingston. This space is a sanctuary for children who have endured the horrors of crime and will be staffed by compassionate members of the JCF, supported by the Warmath Group, to provide specialised care for traumatised children. This space, born out of the US-Jamaica Child Protection Compact partnership, represents the culmination of years of collaboration and shared commitment between our two nations,” he noted.