Children missing during COVID-19 outbreak - Increased threat from online perverts worries advocates
Published:Sunday | April 12, 2020 | 12:00 AMCorey Robinson - Senior Staff Reporter
Local child-rights advocates have added their voices to international concerns about child abuse and negligence during the indeterminate period of school closure and stay-at-home measures to stem the spread of COVID-19.
Last week, the Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA) and children’s advocate Betty Ann Blaine raised alarm about the number of minors who have left home or gone missing since schools were suspended by the Government last month.
The worries follow reports from the United Kingdom-based National Crime Agency that there are at least 300,000 sex abusers posing a threat online, with some discussing how to exploit the school shutdown in Europe that is being crippled by the coronavirus outbreak.
Cybersecurity Fears
Local cybersecurity experts expressed similar fears, explaining that Government’s handling of its missing-children cases during the COVID-19 lockdown could have implications for the country’s Tier 2 ranking in the annual Trafficking in Persons Report published by the United States.
According to Blaine, founder of child-rights group Hear the Children’s Cry, at least 33 children have been reported missing from home since last month’s implementation of the COVID-19 containment measures.
Twenty-eight of the missing are girls, while the majority are from the Corporate Area. St Ann, St Elizabeth and St Mary recorded one case each, the advocacy group reported.
“Of those children missing, six are only 13 years old; while 15 are 14 years old,” said Blaine, who called for greater investigations into reports of missing children, particularly teenage girls.
“Of the parents we have spoken to so far, we have been told that the children are sexually active and are leaving to visit boyfriends.”
Noting that some of the boyfriends are believed to be older men, she said some of the children have since returned home.
MONITOR INTERNET USAGE
Meanwhile, the CPFSA is reminding parents to be vigilant with their children’s Internet usage during their stay at home.
“Many predators will be online and teenagers may get carried away on social-media platforms. They need to be assisted with posting mindfully and responsibly,” said the CPFSA.
“Educate your child about the safe use of the Internet and social-media platforms. Also, keep weapons, medication, tools and harmful substances out of reach.”
The agency has revealed that child-behavioural problems and parental neglect account for most of the cases it investigates. Last year, there were 5,296 behaviour-related cases and 4,408 cases of parental neglect, as well as 2,623 sexual abuse cases involving children.
Last week, the mother of a 13-year-old student from St Catherine said she was at her wits’ end after her unruly daughter ran away from home for two days last month.
The frustrated 50-year-old said her daughter – who has been acting out from age 11 – has refused to divulge where she went, and said she is upset with the police for not interrogating the child on her whereabouts.
The mother said she is bent on getting answers herself.
“She said she went to her friend’s yard to study and that the mother is a nurse, but I don’t believe her. How come I don’t get a call from any adult? If it was me I would call the child’s mother,” she fumed.
“I am going to find out about this yard. I don’t care who it is. Whoever it is can’t badder than God. It doesn’t matter, I have to find out.”
The woman said she has sought the intervention of the CPFSA on several occasions but has had no breakthrough with curbing her daughter’s destructive behaviour. Neither has counselling nor long church sessions helped.