by Anesta Henry (Barbados Today) Reporting child abuse may become mandatory in Barbados, Minister of People Empowerment and Elder Affairs Kirk Humphrey has indicated.
With Child Care Board (CCB) officials expressing concern about the under-reporting of child abuse and the high number of physical and sexual abuse cases involving minors, Humphrey announced on Monday that Government is working closely with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to create a legislative framework for the mandatory reporting of child abuse.
“I think this is where we have to go. This is a conversation that is now existing in draft between the chief parliamentary counsel and the Ministry. It is to make sure that we get to the point where reporting of child abuse is no longer optional. You no longer have the right to say ‘I know it has happened but I didn’t feel like talking about it’.
