Mothers urged to be more vigilant
Guyana Chronicle
March 22, 2004

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Minister within the Ministry of Human Services and Social Securities, Ms. Bibi Shadick, is urging mothers to be more vigilant with their children.

This call is not specific to female children because, according to Shadick, there are reports that male children are also being sexually assaulted.

This is in the wake of 45-year-old Farouk Mohamed being remanded to prison for indecently assaulting his six-year-old daughter and his four-year-old neighbour.

Minister Shadick said what is traumatic is the scars children have to live with for the rest of their lives. "You can remove a child for the situation but you cannot take that situation from the child," she asserted.

The concern centers on what shape their lives will take after these incidents. She is also urging parents to bring abused children to the Ministry to receive therapy to assist in minimizing harmful effects.

The Minister is also hoping that the new men's group 'Men of Purpose' will take matters of this nature on board.

In an earlier release, she also disclosed that although her Ministry does not have the human resources capacity to go after every social case, the probation and family welfare department is looking into the welfare of the children left motherless following the recent murder of Kadeeja Harris.

Harris, of 84 D'Urban Street, Werk-en-Rust, was allegedly killed by her estranged partner after a misunderstanding. Relatives of the dead woman have disclosed that they will care for the four children left homeless.

Minister Shadick noted that the Ministry is happy to know that relatives will care for the children.

The children are aged between four and seven. The Ministry is also looking into the allegation of sexual harassment of an eleven-year old girl in East La Penitence Market, by a male vendor earlier this week. The matter is currently before the courts. (GINA).