Diana Mahabir-Wyatt appalled over murders of children

Chair of the Trinidad and Tobago Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Diana Mahabir-Wyatt, is calling for the authorities to make it mandatory that every child is given a Servol-type parenting training course by the time they are of the age of 12 of 14.

She is also calling on teachers at schools to teach life skills and do away with using corporal punishment to teach young people that it is how you direct behaviour. She referred to the death of 18-month-old Shania King who was killed by a person known to her. Mahabir-Wyatt noted that the killing of King is the fourth case in recent years where a child under three was killed for something which she was too young to control. “In any case of domestic violence the victim is never at fault and it is impossible for a woman or a child to ‘cause’ someone to beat them,” she noted.

Mahabir-Wyatt added that there are many ways to raise children to be disciplined, and only those ignorant of the techniques of parenting have to resort to violence because they know no other way. “An adult striking a child is a sickening sight at any time, indicative only that the adult is harbouring a lot of pent-up rage and frustration, and instead of taking it out in sports or physical activity or in some other healthy manner, or, if they must, physically assault another human being, making it at least someone their own size and weight,” said Mahabir-Wyatt.