Subscribe Login
Jamaica Observer
ePaper
The Edge 105 FM Radio Fyah 105 FM
Jamaica Observer
ePaper
The Edge 105 FM Radio Fyah 105 FM
    • Home
    • News
      • Latest News
      • Cartoon
      • International News
      • Central
      • North & East
      • Western
      • Environment
      • Health
      • #
    • Business
      • Business Bites
      • Social Love
    • Sports
      • Football
      • Basketball
      • Cricket
      • Horse Racing
      • World Champs
      • Commonwealth Games
      • FIFA World Cup
      • Olympics
      • #
    • Videos
    • Entertainment
      • Music
      • Movies
      • Art & Culture
      • Bookends
      • #
    • Lifestyle
      • Page2
      • Food
      • Tuesday Style
      • Food Awards
      • JOL Takes Style Out
      • Design Week JA
      • Black Friday
      • #
    • All Woman
      • Home
      • Relationships
      • Features
      • Fashion
      • Fitness
      • Rights
      • Parenting
      • Advice
      • #
    • Obits
    • Classifieds
      • Employment
      • Property
      • Motor Vehicles
      • Place an Ad
      • Obituaries
    • More
      • Games
      • Elections
      • Jobs & Careers
      • Study Centre
      • Jnr Study Centre
      • Letters
      • Columns
      • Advertorial
      • Editorial
      • Supplements
      • Webinars
    • Home
    • News
      • Latest News
      • Cartoon
      • International News
      • Central
      • North & East
      • Western
      • Environment
      • Health
      • #
    • Business
      • Business Bites
      • Social Love
    • Sports
      • Football
      • Basketball
      • Cricket
      • Horse Racing
      • World Champs
      • Commonwealth Games
      • FIFA World Cup
      • Olympics
      • #
    • Videos
    • Entertainment
      • Music
      • Movies
      • Art & Culture
      • Bookends
      • #
    • Lifestyle
      • Page2
      • Food
      • Tuesday Style
      • Food Awards
      • JOL Takes Style Out
      • Design Week JA
      • Black Friday
      • #
    • All Woman
      • Home
      • Relationships
      • Features
      • Fashion
      • Fitness
      • Rights
      • Parenting
      • Advice
      • #
    • Obits
    • Classifieds
      • Employment
      • Property
      • Motor Vehicles
      • Place an Ad
      • Obituaries
    • More
      • Games
      • Elections
      • Jobs & Careers
      • Study Centre
      • Jnr Study Centre
      • Letters
      • Columns
      • Advertorial
      • Editorial
      • Supplements
      • Webinars
  • Home
  • News
    • International News
  • Latest
  • Business
    • Business Bites
  • Cartoon
  • Games
  • Food Awards
  • Health
  • Entertainment
    • Bookends
  • Regional
  • Sports
    • Sports
    • World Cup
    • World Champs
    • Olympics
  • Videos
  • Career & Education
  • Classifieds
  • All Woman
  • Environment
  • Webinars
  • More
    • Football
    • Elections
    • Letters
    • Advertorial
    • Columns
    • Editorial
    • Supplements
  • Epaper
  • Design Week
‘We have to do more’
State minister for Education, Youth and Information Floyd Green(left) discusses the programme with moderators Najani Stewart ofWolmer's High school for Boys, and Adalia Nembhard of ArdenneHigh school, at yesterday's youth forum, which was held by theNational Child Month Committee at the St Andrew Parish Churchhall. (Photo: Bryan Cummings)
News
BY ALPHEA SAUNDERS Senior staff reporter saundersa@jamaicaobserver.com  
November 3, 2018

‘We have to do more’

Green says cops must work harder to bring child killers to justice

STATE minister for education, youth and information Floyd Green says the police must push harder to bring child killers to justice, highlighting the alarming spate of child murders across the island.

He said that the clear-up rate of 50 per cent is not satisfactory, as this only means that someone has been arrested for the crime, not that someone has been convicted.

“We all have to do more. The Government has a part to play and the police have to ensure that persons who commit these crimes, their justice is swift and sure, and that there is no place to hide. The clear-up rate is at about 50 per cent, but that cannot be enough,” Green said yesterday.

He was speaking with secondary school students from across the island at a National Child Month Committee youth forum held at the St Andrew Parish Church hall.

The state minister said that the police have to do better in terms of making arrests and ensuring that they lead to convictions. He pointed out that although the figures have declined by 21 per cent over last year, 38 children being killed since the start of the year was still a grave problem.

According to Green, legislators are almost at the end of deliberations on a suite of laws that provide for the protection of women, children and other vulnerable groups. He stressed that the aim is to create harsher punishment for those who commit crimes against these groups.

“We are looking at our laws and our penalties and we believe, in a number of cases that relate to children and women, that our penalties are too soft and that we need more strident and stringent penalties to send a message that we are serious about protecting our women and children,” Green said. “Part of what the committee has been talking about is putting in special provisions [for] when a crime is committed against vulnerable groups.”

At the same time, the state minister said some of the difficulties being experienced in protecting the country’s children trace back to the relationships between some parents and their children. He said the Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA), in collaboration with the National Parenting Support Commission, would therefore be launching a wide-ranging campaign on communication strategies to assist parents with being more proactive.

Meanwhile, Green announced that since the merger of the Child Development Agency (CDA) and the Office of the Children’s Registry (OCR) a year ago, the backlog of cases of child abuse awaiting investigation have decreased from 5,000 to 400.

Last November, the CDA and the OCR were merged to form the CPFSA.

“We have been doing some things to make it easier to treat with the abuse and the protection of our system; so one of the things we have been trying to do is remove some of the bureaucracy in the system… The OCR, you would do reports to and they were referred to the CDA, and the CDA would investigate. Oftentimes there were slips in that process. We now have one entity that deals with the reports and the investigations, and we are seeing results,” he said yesterday.

In his sectoral presentation in May, the state minister had said the merger was now approaching its second phase, and that there would be an increase in the number of field staff to deal more effectively with the more than 13,000 cases being reported annually.

Yesterday’s forum, which was held under the theme “Affirm Me”, received major sponsorship from National Baking Company and GraceKennedy Group.

{"website":"website"}{"jamaica-observer":"Jamaica Observer"}
img img
0 Comments · Make a comment

ALSO ON JAMAICA OBSERVER

Italy temporarily suspends Schengen agreement with Spain
International News, Latest News
Italy temporarily suspends Schengen agreement with Spain
July 31, 2026
ROME, Italy (AFP) -- Italy has suspended its Schengen agreement with Spain, following the influx of migrants into the latter's Ceuta enclave in northe...
{"jamaica-observer":"Jamaica Observer"}
Eddie Howe resigns as Newcastle boss to ‘recharge’
International News, Latest News
Eddie Howe resigns as Newcastle boss to ‘recharge’
July 31, 2026
LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP)—Eddie Howe confirmed on Friday he had stepped down as Newcastle manager to "recharge and take a break" following a turbul...
{"jamaica-observer":"Jamaica Observer"}
Oil giants report blowout profits on war, warn high gas prices could persist
Business, International News, Latest News
Oil giants report blowout profits on war, warn high gas prices could persist
July 31, 2026
NEW YORK, United States (AFP) -- US petroleum giants ExxonMobil and Chevron released blowout profits Friday due to the Middle East war, as executives ...
{"jamaica-observer":"Jamaica Observer"}
ASM announces US$500,000 investment in sports across the Caribbean
Latest News, Sports
ASM announces US$500,000 investment in sports across the Caribbean
July 31, 2026
AUBYN Sports Management (ASM) has announced a US$500,000 investment aimed at supporting the growth and development of sports across the Caribbean, mar...
{"jamaica-observer":"Jamaica Observer"}
Fireworks anticipated as Reinas Academy face Los Perfectos in cup finale
Latest News, Sports
Fireworks anticipated as Reinas Academy face Los Perfectos in cup finale
July 31, 2026
Some of the nation's top under-20 female talent will be on show Saturday as the curtains come down on the ISSA Construction Wynlee Sportswear Reinas C...
{"jamaica-observer":"Jamaica Observer"}
RA Williams adds Cradle of Life to portfolio as it expands into maternal wellness sector
Business, Latest News
RA Williams adds Cradle of Life to portfolio as it expands into maternal wellness sector
July 31, 2026
In celebration of World Breastfeeding Week, RA Williams Distributors Limited has officially expanded its distribution network to include Cradle of Lif...
{"jamaica-observer":"Jamaica Observer"}
Wheatley granted injunction barring IC charges until judicial review
Latest News, News
Wheatley granted injunction barring IC charges until judicial review
July 31, 2026
The Supreme Court has granted an injunction preventing the Integrity Commission (IC) from charging Cabinet Minister Dr Andrew Wheatley until the heari...
{"jamaica-observer":"Jamaica Observer"}
83 killed in 75 fatal crashes during second quarter of 2026, says ITA
Latest News, News
83 killed in 75 fatal crashes during second quarter of 2026, says ITA
July 31, 2026
Eighty-three people were killed in 75 fatal crashes during the April to June quarter of 2026, according to crash statistics released on Thursday by th...
{"jamaica-observer":"Jamaica Observer"}
❮ ❯

Polls

HOUSE RULES

  1. We welcome reader comments on the top stories of the day. Some comments may be republished on the website or in the newspaper; email addresses will not be published.
  2. Please understand that comments are moderated and it is not always possible to publish all that have been submitted. We will, however, try to publish comments that are representative of all received.
  3. We ask that comments are civil and free of libellous or hateful material. Also please stick to the topic under discussion.
  4. Please do not write in block capitals since this makes your comment hard to read.
  5. Please don't use the comments to advertise. However, our advertising department can be more than accommodating if emailed: advertising@jamaicaobserver.com.
  6. If readers wish to report offensive comments, suggest a correction or share a story then please email: community@jamaicaobserver.com.
  7. Lastly, read our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy

Recent Posts

Archives

Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
Tweets

Polls

Recent Posts

Archives

Logo Jamaica Observer
Breaking news from the premier Jamaican newspaper, the Jamaica Observer. Follow Jamaican news online for free and stay informed on what's happening in the Caribbean
Featured Tags
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Health
  • Auto
  • Business
  • Letters
  • Page2
  • Football
Categories
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Entertainment
  • Page2
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Entertainment
  • Page2
Ads
img
Jamaica Observer, © All Rights Reserved
  • Home
  • Contact Us
  • RSS Feeds
  • Feedback
  • Privacy Policy
  • Editorial Code of Conduct