SEAN LUKE SPARKS DEBATE

Senate President Dr Linda Baboolal yesterday failed to stop discussion on the murder of six-year-old Sean Luke Lumfai in the Senate, even though the matter is now before the court, and thus sub judice, and despite the DPP’s stern warning to the media about coverage of the case.

As the debate continued on a private motion calling on Government to outline its performance targets and measures to deal with crime, Government, Opposition and Independent Senators all used the Sean Luke tragedy as a springboard for their contributions.

Opposition Senator Ato Boldon, making his maiden address, was the first to breach the sub judice rule, saying that he was “extremely disturbed and appalled” by the Sean Luke incident. He said he felt a sense of remorse and failure because he had been talking to young people for the past ten years. Boldon said Government needed to reassess its policies to put greater priority on the youth. He also called for an “active list” of crimes committed by sexual predators. Government Minister Rennie Dumas was the biggest offender, not only offering condolences to both the parents of the victim and the accused, but talking about “hurt”, “shame” and “a sense of failure”.

Dumas said Government had set up a model of intervention to break the cycle of deviant behaviour with its priority on social services, education and the family. He noted, however, that people criticised those very programmes which they argued was feeding the dependency syndrome. “These programmes are part of the call towards mobilisation against crime,” he said.

Independent Senator Dr Eastlyn McKenzie also referred to the Sean Luke incident.

Education Minister Hazel Manning also mentioned the matter yesterday while at a three-day forum on the status of Caribbean teachers in achieving quality education for all. And President George Maxwell Richards also issued a release on the matter Monday, mere hours after two boys were charged with Sean Luke’s murder in a Couva court. The Prime Minister also commented on the issue.

The DPP’s statement warned against “comments which tend to show accused persons in a bad light, as well as statements which scandalise the criminal process and the court are a serious contempt.”