Dear Editor,

The CCWU is concerned with the issues of abuse and exploitation faced by our nation’s children. We wish to highlight the domestic abuse of children within our society and advocate the Universal Rights of the Child proclaimed by UNICEF 1988. Children are the future of any nation. Are we taking care of our future? We express disbelief, sadness, disgust and a myriad of other feelings on the recent incidents of child abuse.

We should not adopt a “deaf ear” and “blind eye” attitude because interference may result in an attack on ourselves. Reports of repeated  abuse are surfacing and one may well wonder if something had been done whether some would be alive today. How do those citizens feel now? Are they satisfied that they did all that they could have done? Is there sufficient legislation to protect these innocent victims? What kind of man or woman do the children who survive these environments become? How do they deal with the rage and hate, natural responses to abuse they are unable to stop? Are they numb to love, unity, kindness, gentleness, tolerance, happiness, and peacefulness because these are all alien to them? As a Society we can no longer turn a “blind eye” or a “deaf ear” to the abuse of our children. We must take a stand:-“Stop the abuse now”

Yours faithfully,
Sherwood Clarke