PSOJ demands action to prevent 'continuous slaughter' of children

 

The Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ) is calling for the government to take action to prevent what it terms the "continuous slaughter" of children. 

 

The group made the call following the gruesome assault and murder of nine-year-old Kelsey Ferrigon, a Grade 3 student of St. John's Primary School.

 

Her body was found in a barrel at her home in Job Lane, St. Catherine on Friday. 

 

President Metry Seaga urged the Andrew Holness-led administration not to allow this moment to pass without meaningful action. 

 

"This needs to stop and needs to stop quickly. It's a violation of human decency and the rights of children. Every act of violence, especially against children, drains national morale and deters investments and contributes to the breakdown of trust in our society. 

 

"We call for the government to develop and enforce a cross-ministerial framework that prioritises safety, education and mental well-being of children, to strengthen partnerships between law enforcement and schools, faith-based groups and civil society, and to improve our justice system to enable the delivery of more timely and well-reasoned verdicts. These are things we think are important to creating a deterrent for heinous acts of this nature, and again we provide our deepest sympathy to the families that have been affected," he declared. 

 

The person of interest named in the killing of the nine-year-old was fatally shot by police in Clarendon on Monday morning.

 

In the meantime, Mr. Seaga has urged greater consistency and visibility from all sectors of civil society, including human rights organisations in advocating for the protection of children.

 

He said the silence surrounding these tragedies must be replaced by a unified and resolute call for justice, accountability and prevention.