BENEATH Jamaica’s vibrant sun and reggae rhythms lies a shadow that threatens the very soul of our nation: the rampant sexual abuse of our children.

This is not just a crime — it’s a betrayal of trust, a theft of innocence, and a stain on our collective conscience. Our children, the heartbeat of our future, are suffering in silence, and the time for half-measures is over. The Government, the people, and every institution must rise to protect the most vulnerable among us. This is a call to action, fuelled by heartbreak, outrage, and an unyielding demand for justice.

The Devastating Scope of the Crisis

The numbers are staggering and paint a grim reality. According to the National Children’s Registry (NCR), 13,918 reports of child abuse were recorded in 2024, encompassing 25,005 incidents of abuse and care-related concerns, including sexual abuse, physical abuse, neglect, and behavioural issues. Sexual abuse remains a significant portion, with the 2023 Jamaica Violence Against Children and Youth Survey (VACS) revealing that 21 per cent of girls aged 13-24 have experienced sexual violence, a figure echoed by UNICEF Jamaica. The Planning Institute of Jamaica’s 2024 Economic and Social Survey reported 3,409 sexual abuse incidents, a 46 per cent increase from 2021, underscoring an alarming upward trend.

Most shockingly, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Paula Llewellyn revealed in July 2025 that taxi men — drivers entrusted with transporting children — are implicated in 40-50 per cent of child sexual abuse cases. These predators exploit their access to vulnerable children, often targeting those travelling to school or in rural areas with limited oversight. This statistic is a gut punch, exposing a systemic failure to protect children in everyday settings.

Child trafficking compounds this horror. The US Department of State’s 2024 Trafficking in Persons Report notes that Jamaica investigated 61 trafficking cases in 2023, with 48 involving sex trafficking, many targeting children. Yet convictions remain low, with only three sex traffickers convicted under lesser penalties in 2023. The report also highlights the disappearance of children, many suspected to be trafficked for sexual exploitation or forced labour. While exact numbers of missing children are elusive, the NCR and local reports suggest hundreds vanish annually, their fates often tied to organised crime or exploitation.

Other forms of abuse — physical, emotional, and neglect — further erode childhoods. The 2024 ESSJ reported 5,497 incidents of neglect and 6,181 cases of behavioural problems, with physical abuse cases rising 41 per cent to 3,937. Boys are disproportionately affected by physical abuse and gang recruitment, while girls face higher risks of sexual violence. Vulnerable groups, including rural children, LGBTQ youth, and those in State care, are particularly at risk.

The Human Toll: Stories That Break Us

Each statistic represents a child robbed of his/her childhood. Picture Shanice, a 13-year-old from Clarendon, who trusted a taxi driver to take her home from school, only to be assaulted in a secluded area. Or Kevin, a 10-year-old from Montego Bay, coerced into silence by a family member who exploited his trust. These stories are not fiction — they reflect the lived realities of countless Jamaican children. The DPP has noted that 90% of child sexual abuse cases involve perpetrators known to the victim — family members, neighbours, or trusted figures, like taxi men.

The trauma is profound. The 2023 VACS found that child abuse survivors face significantly higher risks of depression, anxiety, and PTSD, with long-term effects, including substance abuse and revictimisation. Survivors carry invisible scars, their trust in the world shattered, their futures clouded by pain. The cultural stigma surrounding abuse often silences victims, with many fearing retaliation or shame if they speak out.

Systemic Failures: A Betrayal of Trust

Jamaica’s legal framework, including the Child Care and Protection Act (CCPA), Sexual Offences Act, and Trafficking in Persons (Prevention, Suppression and Punishment) Act, promises protection but falls short in practice. The maximum penalty for child trafficking is 30 years, and sexual offences against children can carry life imprisonment, yet convictions are rare, and sentences are often lenient. In 2023, only three traffickers were convicted, often under lesser charges, with minimal penalties, such as fines or suspended sentences. The DPP has highlighted a cultural acceptance of sexual exploitation, noting that societal attitudes often blame victims, contributing to a conviction rate of just one in five child molesters.

The taxi men statistic is a glaring indictment of oversight failures. How can drivers entrusted with children’s safety account for nearly half of sexual abuse cases? The lack of mandatory background checks, licensing standards, and monitoring in the transport sector is a systemic gap that predators exploit. Similarly, the Office of the Children’s Advocate (OCA) has flagged misconduct in State care facilities, where children face revictimisation. Under-reporting remains a critical issue, with cultural stigmas and distrust in authorities silencing victims.

A Roadmap for National Rescue

This crisis demands bold, immediate action. Here are comprehensive solutions I believe will protect Jamaica’s children:

1) Harsher penalties for predators: Child sexual abuse and trafficking are heinous crimes that demand mandatory life imprisonment without parole. The current 10-15-year sentences for trafficking or abuse are an insult to justice. Amend the Trafficking in Persons Act and Sexual Offences Act to ensure penalties match the gravity of rape and murder. Establish specialised courts to fast-track child abuse cases, sparing victims prolonged trauma.

2) Regulate the transport sector: The DPP’s 40-50 per cent statistic on taxi men requires urgent action. Implement mandatory background checks, child protection training, and GPS tracking for all taxi drivers. Create a national hotline for children to report abuse by drivers, and enforce strict licensing penalties for non-compliance.

3) Strengthen law enforcement: Increase funding for the Centre for the Investigation of Sexual Offences and Child Abuse (CISOCA) and train police, prosecutors, and judges in trauma-informed, victim-centred approaches. The 2024 training of investigators, praised by Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport Olivia Grange, must be scaled up. A dedicated anti-trafficking task force should target high-risk sectors, like transport and schools.

4) Comprehensive victim support: Survivors need more than temporary aid. Expand the Ministry of Justice’s Victim Services Division, which provided limited counselling in 2023, to offer free, long-term mental health care, legal aid, and vocational training. Create trauma-informed shelters and reintegration programmes to help survivors rebuild their lives.

5) End cultural silence: Launch nationwide campaigns to destigmatise reporting and educate communities on recognising abuse. Ban corporal punishment, which normalises violence against children. Schools must teach children their rights and how to seek help, building on UNICEF’s efforts.

6) Find the missing: Establish a national task force to locate missing children, integrating NCR data with police efforts. A public database, modelled after the US National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, could mobilise communities to report sightings.

7) Prevent trafficking: Address poverty and family breakdowns, which fuel vulnerability. Screen vulnerable groups — rural children, LGBTQ youth, and those in State care — for trafficking indicators. Fully implement the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) to ensure victim identification and support.

A Plea to the Government

Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness, Minister Grange, Minister Delroy Chuck — hear the cries of Jamaica’s children. The DPP’s revelation about taxi men is a national emergency. The 13,918 abuse reports in 2024 are not just numbers — they are lives. The missing children are our sons and daughters, stolen from us. You have the power to enact tougher laws, fund robust protections, and hold predators accountable. Reach out to survivors, to the NCR, to activists, and build a system that prioritises children’s safety. The world is watching, and our children cannot wait.

A Call to the People

This is not just the Government’s fight — it’s ours. Parents, teachers, drivers, neighbours, stand up! Report abuse! Support survivors! Demand justice!

As Nicole Patrick Shaw, head of the National Child Month Committee, urged in 2025, “Act now, stand against child abuse and exploitation.” Our children are Jamaica’s future. Let us make this island a sanctuary where they can grow without fear, where their laughter drowns out the shadows, and where justice prevails.

For Shanice, for Kevin, for the missing, and for every child whose voice has been silenced — let us act. Let us be the nation that says, “No more.”

janielmcewan17@gmail.com