The Ministry of Human Services and Social Security assures the public that children who were found in circumstances of severe abuse and mistreatment in Region Six are now safe under the protection of the Child Care and Protection Agency.
Following information received today from a public-spirited citizen, the Agency intervened immediately.
According to a statement from the Ministry, the children are being taken to hospital for medical assessment and care and are being placed into state care.
Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Dr. Vindhya Persaud, expressed outrage at the callous treatment of the children and the conditions in which they were found.
“No child should ever have to live under these conditions or endure such cruelty.
It is deeply distressing that children have been subjected to this treatment.
Our immediate priority is their safety, their health and ensuring that they receive the care and protection they need,” the Minister stated.
Given the sensitivity of this case and the need to protect the children’s dignity and privacy, the Ministry will not publish photographs of them.
Members of the public and the media are strongly urged not to post or circulate photographs, videos or identifying details of the children.
Minister Persaud thanked the citizen whose report enabled the Agency to act swiftly and called on communities to speak up whenever a child may be experiencing abuse, neglect or unsafe living conditions.
“We cannot act on what we do not know.
Please tell us when a child is being harmed or is living in circumstances that threaten their safety and well-being.
Your report can bring help to a child who may have no way of asking for it.
Today, because someone cared enough to speak up, we were able to intervene immediately,” she said.
The Minister emphasised that protecting children must be a shared responsibility, with families, neighbours and communities looking out for every child.
“We must care about what happens to the children around us.
Wherever there is a child, the adults in that community should be looking out for that child’s safety and well-being.
We need to treat their suffering with the same urgency and concern we would if they were our own family.
We must never turn away when a child needs help.”
The Ministry reiterates that the children are safe under the Agency’s protection and urges anyone with information about suspected child abuse or neglect to report it promptly to the Child Care and Protection Agency or the police.
Reporting concerns directly allows intervention while protecting children from further exposure and distress.
