Dear Editor,

Jamaica is known for its white sands, blue waters, vibrant people, and golden sunshine.

The recent Miami Herald article ‘How Jamaica and its prime minister are becoming a mini-superpower’ dated June 28, 2023 explains Jamaica’s involvement in regional and international politics and how the current prime minister, Andrew Holness, is becoming a force for good, especially in the area of economic stability.

This, of course, must be praised since it brings the necessary accolades to the various individuals, agencies, and sectors within our Jamaican society. However, few people know that Jamaica is also infested with grown men and women who are lustfully preying on our nation’s children and will stop at nothing — since there are few concrete or serious laws — to destroy and manipulate their innocence.

Over the past year, various local media groups have been showcasing incidents in which our children have been targeted by these psychopathic people who continue to murder and rape Jamaican children, so much so that in carrying out their barbaric acts they sometimes leave the corpses of our children unrecognisable.

The Jamaican Government, while basking in the praise from the international media, must take serious steps to protect our nations youth since we, the people, have entrusted it with the care of our country and that of our well-being. It does not make any sense that our Government is being praised by outsiders when at home its house is out of order.

Jamaicans also have a role to play by ensuring that we look out for our children, report incidents of child abuse of any kind, and have no fear being the voices for the innocent.

The Church, sadly, has lost it credibility to address the issue of paedophilia, which continues to plague families, in particular, and society in general since its members, on several occasions, have been the cause of such shame and scandal. The Church must purge itself of some of its members and clergy who carry out these unforgivable acts against God’s children.

The Church must not only protect its institution but send these men and women to the pews and altars of the respective enforcement authorities without defending or hiding the incidences and perpetrators. Anything short of this is being complicit in the crimes against our nation’s children.

Jamaicans, we must implore the Government to create laws that actually work and are enforced across racial, class, and social groups to make “Jamaica the place of choice to live, work, raise families, and do business”.

This enactment of laws and the safety of our people will indeed make Jamaica a true mini-superpower.

Roger Goodwill

roger_goodwill14@hotmail.com