SOURCE: Antigua Observer
As youth gang violence continues to be hotly debated by Antiguans and Barbudans, one father spoke about his family’s personal challenges in protecting their son.
According to the alleged victim’s father, his 15-year-old son has been targeted by gang members on two separate occasions—the first at his secondary school, and the second attack occurred that occurred at the stadium weeks ago.
He explained that his son was reportedly seeking to protect another individual who, at the time, was the target of the attack.
The father stated following that incident, he received a video featuring a coffin and a message threatening the life and safety of his son.
He explained that he has since increased security around his son following the threat and that he has been removed from all his extracurricular activities, including swimming.
“My wife takes him to school in the morning and at 1:30pm she or my daughter is at the school to pick him up,” the distraught father explained.
The victim’s mother also spoke of her concerns as she alleged that videos and photos of her son accompanied by a threatening message were being circulated online.
“I was really shaken up, so I started to make phone calls; I called his father and said he needed to get my son out of Antigua because I really don’t want anything to go wrong with him,” she said.
The father has called on lawmakers to address the law that prevents young perpetrators that commit certain acts from being apprehended.
“The actual law of the country is what prohibits police officers from doing their duties, because the amount of paperwork you have to get from the court to convict a juvenile,” he said.
Last week, Attorney General Steadroy Benjamin expressed the intention of the government to review the Child Justice Act—although how quickly they could pass any bill to adequately address the issue before elections in March is questionable.
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When you begin to deal wid dem like adults, people bex… Parents need to find out about their children cause some of them behave innocent but they are not… Ya’ll better deal wid dem before someone puts them down…
All am gonna say to this family do whatever you all to do to protect your child.this system is a waste. Maybe when them started to disappear then somebody will listen. Them just a walk a hurt ppl children and get way, well it’s time that victims parents take the law in them hand. I say what I have to say .
With all the technology, can’t these videos be traced. They are using social networks. The police had better get serious before somebody gets killed. Anybody who would chop up another person with a cutlass is a criminal and should be off the street and given counselling.
@Observation…Jumbee_Picknee says, “charge the cutlass wielding individual with attempted murder, plus other relevant charges.”
#get
#serious
#they
#are
Where are the Police? Why does everything have to be politicized? The COP must come to the public more often and account for his stewardship. And our reporters should call him out more often. There is a separation of offices. The political branch cannot give any directive to the Judicial Branch. The police are independent of the Executive Branch.
With the lack of the police doing their duty, the citizens are forced to take matters in their own hands. And before you know it things will get out of hand, and we will become a vigilante state. And who is to blame? We must either hold Mr. Rodney to account or ask for him to be removed from the office. I didn’t like the fact that the UPP brought the Canadian Mounties here, but it was a fresh set of people that were not tight to our politics. Sadly enough the UPP tried to do just that. But it begs to wonder if we should bring them back. Because what is going on lately smells too much like politicking. And people’s lives is at stake.
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