By: Latoyia Kimbrough
Child abuse in Jamaica is on the rise according to a CNN article. The reports of child abuse have risen dramatically in Jamaica according to the nation’s Office of Children's Registry (OCR). In 2007 the office only received 425 complaints compared to 2008 where there were 3,784 child abuse reports made. This is such a significant climb not only because that number is almost nine times the previous year but also because the population of the nation is only about 2.8 million. The citizens of Jamaica are concerned about child protection because of recent trends of violence against minors in the country. A police report made late in 2008 stated that between January 1, 2008 and November 1, 2008, 73 children were murdered and 383 cases of carnal abuse were reported. According to Dorothy Lightbourne, who is a Justice Minister, flogging and other forms of physical abuse are a part of the Jamaican culture. She goes on to say that "there are many parents who even threaten to 'murder' their children, some as young as two years old”.
On Saturday, OCR Registrar Carla Edie told the Jamaican governmental news service (JIS) that the people of Jamaica have become "increasingly mindful of their legal responsibility to report such incidents". He also states that, "if someone has information of suspected child abuse and fails to make a report to the Registry, that person can be charged a maximum fee of $500,000 or-and six months imprisonment". Edie believes that the growing number of reports can be credited to the growing awareness of the Office of Children's Registry. The public is the becoming aware that the OCR is the department responsible for tracking and acting on the reports not other government and police agencies that have handled the reports in the past. The OCR will increase its operating hours and staff to respond to the growing number of reports.
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