The Rights of the Child Commission (RCC) has announced it will be engaging the Guyana Police Force (GPF), as it relates to the how they should approach cases where children are involved.
CEO of the RCC, Amar Panday (right) along with executives flanked by the youth ambassadors
Chief Executive Officer of the RCC, Amar Panday, indicated on Monday that professionalism in addressing these cases which require Police attention is one of the main focuses of the Commission. The first discussions are scheduled for today.
This comes at a time when a number of youths would have benefited from their youth camp and will be able to take up the responsibility of addressing these concerns.
Recently, the camp was held from August 2-6, which sought to equip the participants with the skills which can be used to empower other youths in their communities. Venturing into the Iwokrama region, workshops were also held with children of the hinterlands schools.
“The Rights of the Child Commission has a work programme. Tomorrow (Tuesday) we are engaging the Police in C Division (East Coast Demerara) and for the record, the RCC has engaged the Police in all the of the other divisions, focusing on what are the professional and psychosocial roles of Police Officers when handling children cases,” Panday stated.
Panday asserted that at this time, the youth ambassadors can be part of the discussions with ranks of the GPF and they can also give their opinions from a child’s perspective.
Emphasis will also be placed on championing the rights of children and providing the vulnerable ones with protection against abuse and other social issues.
One of the ambassadors of the youth camp sought to point out on behalf of his colleagues, that safe spaces should also be created for children to report all incidences along with confidentiality and quick response from the Force.
“As it relates to the Police Officers and the way they treat these cases, we would like to see more confidentiality and faster response with their reaction reports and complaints and to have it be dealt with in a strict manner so that the public can gain their trust and to ensure that when these complaints are made, there would be strict actions.”
Meanwhile, the Investigative Officer of the RCC, Andre Gonsalves stated, “One of the things I would really like for the youth ambassadors to take on is lobbying and supporting their right to make a complaint, not just here but also at the UNCRC (United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child) level.”
