ALL staff members identified in the Judith Jones report on rampant abuse in State-assisted children's homes, have either left the job or have died, said Vijay Gangapersad – Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) on Monday.
He spoke at a virtual briefing held by Ayanna Webster-Roy, Minister in the OPM responsible for gender and children's affairs. She also announced a delay in the proclamation of the law to allow unlicensed homes more time to become compliant.
Gangapersad said, "Every single case, from what I was told, of matters being mentioned in those reports, were committed by people who would have left the organisation for one reason or the other, or in some cases, would have died.
Gangapersad gave no details as to the number of staffers involved, whether they were referred to the police, and how their leaving had occurred such as by suspension, termination, resignation or retirement.
Webster-Roy said the police are continuing investigations into the multiple reports of abuse.
The report by Jones, the retired appeal court judge, detailed sexual abuse and beatings of children at several homes across both islands, perpetrated variously by staff members, security guards or other children. Webster-Roy laid the report in the House of Representatives last April.
She told the briefing that unlicensed homes would be facilitated by a delay from March 31 to July 1, in proclamation of parts of the Children's Community Residences, Foster Care and Nurseries Act.
Section 3(1) and (2) requires homes to be licensed and section 17 lists penalties for operating if unlicensed.
Asked if the homes would be able to become compliant in this extended period, Webster-Roy said she is "forever an optimist."
With the lowest rated home now at 60 per cent compliant, she said upgrading work should take two months. The minister also advocated a kinship policy for relatives to take children in need plus foster care, as she invited members of the public to offer to provide stable homes for these children.
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