Remove this child

Justice Nadia Kangaloo, presiding in the Hall of Justice, Port-of-Spain yesterday ordered the girl be placed in a licensed Community Residence, in accordance with the Children’s Authority Act of 2012. As there are no licensed Community Residences, the child will be housed at the Children’s Authority.

Lawyers for the teen, Anand Ramlogan SC, Ganesh Saroop and Alvin Pariagsingh approached the courts with an emergency application for an administrative order to have the girl from the home. The teenager complained that after the High Court and Court of Appeal last year ordered that she be granted immediate access to her lawyers, she became the victim of extreme harassment at the home.

She said was victimised, abused, ridiculed and became fearful for her safety and life.

Her lawsuit contends that she is in great distress, and has become depressed because she dared to take her complaint to court. Unable to withstand the pressure, the girl ran away from the home and does not want to return as she fears she will be attacked for ‘snitching on the home.’ In her claim before the court, the teenager provided the report of independent child psychologist Dr Natalie Humphrey who recommended that she be immediately removed from the home. “I strongly recommend that (name withheld) be immediately removed from the custody, care and control of the St Mary’s Children’s Home and be placed in the care of some alternative suitably, qualified and competent institution,” Humphrey said in her affidavit.

The lawsuit also pointed out that the psychologist also confirmed that during her interview with the teenager, two staff members of the home interrupted and insisted they be present, contrary to the order of the Court of Appeal which granted the teenager access to her legal advisers.

State attorney Josephina Baptiste appeared for the Attorney General while Sharlene Jaggernauth appeared for the Children’s Authority