Dear Editor,
I write in response to the Editorial in yesterday’s edition of Stabroek News. Many thanks for sentiments expressed to child protection front-line workers for responding to the number of cases in 2020 during the period of the pandemic. However, I write to make a correction of the data attributed to the year 2011 where it is stated that “and the issue was equally horrendous when Head of the Childcare and Protection Agency Ann Greene revealed that in 2011, the Agency had responded to “Over 3,000 sexual abuse reports… the bulk of which originated in Region Four.” This is not correct and at the time it was published I tried to get it corrected, as I always do when incorrect statements are made in the media.
I always try to get incorrect statements in the media corrected because what is written in newspapers becomes history and incorrect statements can keep repeating. This is a clear case of that at this time. The statement in 2011 should have read, there are over 3000 child abuse reports. Not sexual abuse, that was an incorrect statement.
As a student of UG in the 80s I could have relied on information in the newspapers to support student-papers I presented, but today, I tell students watch what information you take from newspapers. There are many incorrect data statements that have never been corrected. Journalists are in a hurry to get stories out and tend to falter on verification. I remember one time I called Mr. Adam Harris to find out what happened to his editors. This was when a big headline appeared with Childcare Agency to sanitize parents instead of sensitize parents to the effect of child abuse. If I did not choose the profession of Social Work and specializing in Human Services, I would have been a journalist. I like to write, and I had early training in Communication Studies, and exposure to a journalist. I can recall being told that it is best when you are going to interview a professional you should read up a bit on the work they do to be familiar with some terminology they may use.
However, when it comes to data there must be accuracy and editors must check statements that appear to be erroneous. Three thousand sexual abuse cases is erroneous indeed, and I had to try once more to fix this statement in the newspapers that is attributed to the Director of Childcare & Protection Agency.
Yours truly
Ann Greene
Director of Children Services
Editor’s note: Stabroek News regrets the error.
