Humphrey promises: Help on the way
The new minister responsible for crime prevention has made an emotional plea for national action following this week’s shooting death of a 13-year-old boy in Silver Hill, Christ Church.
Minister of People Empowerment, Elder Affairs and Crime Prevention, Kirk Humphrey, speaking at the launch of the Child Care Board’s annual Child Abuse Awareness and Prevention Month yesterday at the HIV/AIDS Conference Room, in Warrens Tower, Warrens, St Michael, said the tragic killing of Shawnathon Chase shook the conscience of the nation and underscored the urgent need for stronger protection of children and more robust community interventions.
“The boy was just 13 years old,” Humphrey said, visibly moved by the incident. “And everywhere I went in that community, people told me he was a good child. He didn’t hang out, didn’t behave badly. Even other children in the area said that.”
The minister said he visited the family’s home the previous day and described conversations with the parents as “gut-wrenching”.
“I spoke with the father shortly after the incident and yesterday (Thursday) I went to the house and spoke with the mother and that conversation broke me. I don’t think people understand the pain of losing a child in such circumstances. If we are responsible for child protection, this has to concern us,” he said.
The shooting, which took place while netball was being played on the hardcourts with children looking on, left the community of Silver Hill in trauma. Humphrey said numerous residents, particularly men, confessed to not having slept since the incident.
“That is trauma. That is what untreated trauma looks like and it is going to have consequences,” he warned.
He disclosed that the ministry will be deploying social workers to support those affected, in addition to working closely with the Barbados Police Service and its Crime Prevention Unit to implement targeted interventions.
He criticised the growing normalisation of violence and the manipulation of vulnerable youth by criminal elements.
“We are hearing that boys are being offered small change to take a life. A life. It’s nonsense and stupidity. The idea that someone can pull a gun in the middle of a crowd of children and think that’s okay, this is ignorance of the highest order.”
Humphrey announced that the ministry will be stepping up parental support programmes, including the hiring of
parental coaches and life coaches to work within communities. He also confirmed that the newly-formed Social Empowerment Agency, which incorporates the former Child Care Board with other state entities, will be operational in May. The agency is designed to deliver a more modern and comprehensive response to social issues, including child protection.
Built for another time
“The institutions we rely on were built for another time – some of them in the ’60s and ’70s – and they are not fit for the world we live in now. We need to change our laws, our structures, our interventions. This is not politics, this is about doing right by our people.”
He also addressed recent child abuse statistics, noting that the numbers remained fairly steady over the past three years, though reported cases did not reflect the full extent of the problem.
Between 2021 and 2022, there were 538 reported cases of child abuse affecting 667 children. That figure rose slightly the following year, with 560 cases affecting 672 children. From 2023 to 2024, there was a marginal drop in reported cases to 559, though the number of affected children increased to 677.
He urged parents to listen to their children and remain vigilant, and renewed a call for more foster parents to come forward. To support this effort, in this year’s Financial Statement and Budgetary Proposals, Government doubled the weekly stipend for foster care from $100 to $200.
This year’s Child Abuse Awareness And Prevention Month will be observed in November to coincide with World Children’s Day and to allow officers space to adjust as the ministry transitions into its restructured format under the Social Empowerment Agency.
Humphrey concluded with a plea for collective responsibility: “This is a moment we must act. The police must do what the police must do but we in society must also do our part. If we fail to respond, we are doing ourselves a disservice and we are letting down our children.” (CLM)
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