ST GEORGE’S, Grenada, CMC – The Grenada government is being urged by a local non-governmental organisation to implement child abuse laws developed here nearly six years ago.

The call comes in the wake of the recent suspension of a primary school teacher who is alleged to have sexually molested at least seven students.

The allegation has sparked a public outcry with child rights advocates staging street demonstrations at the start of the new school term.

“If people were really serious about child protection in Grenada they would have adopted that protocol and use it across the ministries because in nearly every ministry the staff are going to be dealing with young children,” said Chris Davies, a member of the Grenada Association of Professional Social Workers (GAPS).

“For some reason, it is just not being implemented and I am banging on about it. We need to ensure that this piece of protocol is implemented properly across the nation.”

The child abuse protocol was funded by the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) and commissioned by the Grenada Coalition on the Rights of the Child (GNCRC).

The document, formed after broad based consultation and handed over to government two years ago, outlined procedures to follow in the event of a child being abused.

Child rights campaigners said finger pointing over which agency was responsible for causing a delay in suspending the accused male student could have been avoided, if the protocol had been implemented.

“Once such a protocol is implemented there would be no guess work all of these different agencies department, heads of department would have been able top pick up the protocol, look at what has to be done step by step. All of the procedural requirements would have been followed,” said Anande Trotman Joseph, former chairperson of GNCRC.

“I am saying that once the protocol is implemented all of the guess work would have gone out of it. We have spent many years and money funded by UNICEF and we think it is time that the government with much haste implemented this child abuse protocol,” the former GNCRC chair added.