Hon Marcella Liburd takes stand against child sex abuse

The Hon Marcella Liburd

ZIZ Newsroom…Basseterre, St Kitts (July 15, 2010) – Minister of Social Services, The Hon Marcella Liburd says child sex abuse has become a serious problem within the federation.

During a consultation partnered with UNICEF, Minister Liburd said we all bear some responsibility in raising children in an environment that will boost their well-being.

“Unfortunately, far too often we are failing many of our children. Every child that becomes a victim of child sexual abuse is a child we have failed. Every perpetrator we fail to punish represents a child we have failed,” she says.

Now that it’s a serious problem within the federation, Minister Liburd says it’s high time to take action.

“Evidence of child abuse is overwhelming. We cannot ignore the findings of this report. We can no longer let children fall prey to these perpetrators and suffer a life sentence by having to cope with the physical and emotional scars of abuse,” she says.

Minister Liburd says she and the Ministry of Social Services plan to take steps to tackle crimes of child sex abuse.