Enough is enough on child abuse, says Hanna

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Minister of Youth and Culture Lisa Hanna says that providing shelter, food and education is not enough when it comes to protecting the nation’s children in state care.

“A lot of kids suffer in silence,” said Hanna who added that the lines are now blurred when it comes to recognising who are really being abused.

She said that it was alarming the number of sexual abuse cases of children that come to light during medical examinations by doctors.

Hanna was speaking at the LIME School Aid launch held at the Eden Gardens Conference Centre in Kingston Tuesday afternoon.

To ensure greater protection and accountability Hanna said that government is investing $50 million to establish a new operational system in children’s homes.

The new approach includes a tracking system which monitors the wards, the strengthening of parenting programmes, and the ramping up of public education.

Hanna said society reacts when news surface on the shocking deaths of children, but there’s a disconnect as it does not lead to an alarm system that makes us say “enough is enough”.