THIRTY-TWO children have died tragically islandwide since the start of the year, according to figures provided to the Office of the Children’s Advocate (OCA) by the Statistical Department of the Jamaica Constabulary Force.

Eleven of the incidents included the use of the gun, seven by knives and one by machete.

In the meantime, the OCA says it will be conducting a full investigation as well as review the Critical Incident Report of the Child Development Agency to determine the circumstances which led to the stabbing death of 11-year-old Brandon Saddler at the SOS in Stony Hill, St Andrew on Thursday.

“This will assist to determine if civil proceedings are appropriate,” the OCA said in a press release yesterday.

Children’s Advocate Mary Clarke, who visited the institution yesterday, expressed her sympathy to both families of the deceased and perpetrator, noting that “everyone described the victim as a promising individual who was admired by everyone”.

The initial visit, said the OCA, was to ascertain the status of the children and to see how the matter was being handled. The administration at SOS assured Clarke that the children had received counselling and that when the incident accrued most were in school and did not witness the incident.

“They also noted that the counselling is being offered to the parents and grandparents of the victim and perpetrator and this will continue with the Victim Support Unit”, said the OCA release.

Saddler is the seventh child to have died in state care in almost two weeks. On Thursday, 16-year -old Georgian Saunders became the sixth victim of the May 22 fire at the Armandale Juvenile Correctional Centre, when she succumbed to her injuries.

The OCA said it has also commenced investigations into that incident.

“I am deeply concerned about what is happening to our children in state care and we have to intensify our efforts in programmes to identify and treat at-risk children, and to help these children from falling through the crack in this way. We need the help of civil society and volunteers to get involved in uniformed group activities with children and other programmes that will help them to channel their energies into positive activities,” the children’s advocate said.

“They need conflict resolution skills training and parents need to be supported. Our children in institutions need our special attention as a society we cannot fail them,” Clarke said.

Meanwhile, Clarke has called for speedy coroner’s inquests of children in state care who died tragically and or violently.