By Cathy Richards
The Linden Legal Aid Centre is calling for extensive support for abused and exploited children as it seeks to establish a child-friendly space while counting also on the commitment from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to provide appropriate furniture and computers.
The call was made yesterday by Secretary to the Board of Directors of the newly-established centre, attorney-at-law Joan Ward-Mars at the official opening ceremony of the Linden Legal Aid centre.
The centre was established with support and funding from UNICEF and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in collaboration with the Government of Guyana.
Addressing the audience at the ceremony, Ward-Mars noted that the centre, in addition to providing legal representation for persons who can ill afford to pay for a lawyer to represent them in the courts, caters for the needs of children who are casualties of the crime and violence plaguing Linden and its environs.
She said that children who are abused physically and sexually sometimes need to be removed from their homes, especially in the case of incest.
“In many cases the molester or abuser is a parent or caregiver and when that person enters the criminal justice system, these children are left without adequate support.”
Dire need
Ward-Mars said that the centre is in dire need of a qualified social worker to coordinate the support group, resources to pay for transporting the children to and from the centre, snacks, books, academic materials and equipment necessary for the survival and academic success of children.
She noted that the call is being made while the centre is in its infancy and it has received encouraging responses for a support group for affected children.
The Linden branch of the Institute of Distance and Continuing Education (IDCE) of the University of Guyana has expressed interest in entering a memorandum of understanding with the centre for an internship programme which will allow their students to provide psychological counselling to children attached to the centre as part of their graduation requirements.
Justice of the Guyana Court of Appeal, Madame Yonette Cummings-Edwards delivered the feature address and highlighted the importance of the centre in Linden. She commended the team of lawyers who have committed their time and resources towards assisting residents of Linden.
She said too that Legal Aid extends beyond criminal matters as it also covers areas of civil, family and criminal laws, estate and probate and in-house counselling. Justice Cummings-Edwards was recognized as a daughter of Linden and has led the call for the establishment of the centre in Linden.
Minister of Human Services and Social Security Priya Manickchand officially declared the centre open and encouraged the full utilization of its services. She said that prior to the establishment of the centre, similar services were extended to residents but on a limited scale. She also stated that the government would not seek to compete with the centre but rather give maximum support in areas that are necessary.
Others making remarks at the ceremony were Regional Chairman of Region 10 Mortimer Mingo through whose office the facility which now houses the centre was made available, Consultant to the Justice Improvement Project on Legal Aid, Felicia Lynch, members of the Guyana Bar Association, and members of the Guyana Association of Women Lawyers.
The centre is housed at a historic building, formerly the Regional Rest House, which also houses the Christianburg Magistrate’s Court and the office of the Probation and Family Welfare Department.
It is managed by a Board of Directors, including the chairman, attorney-at-law Fitz L. R. Peters, Vice Chairman, Chief Executive Officer of Linmine Horace James, Secretary, attorney-at-law Joan Ward-Mars, attorneys-at-law Charles Fung-A-Fat Jr. and Deborah Osman-Backer and Regional Health Officer, Region 10, Dr. Pansy Armstrong.
