More psychosocial attention is being placed on child victims of crime, including human trafficking, in the parish of Portland, as the Ministry of Justice unveiled a child-friendly space on Thursday (January 27). 

In a statement, the ministry explained that the space, based in Port Antonio, forms part of two initiatives spearheaded by the United States Embassy and the government of Jamaica. 

As the fourth such child-friendly space established in Jamaica, the initiative was launched under the US$6.7 million Jamaica Child Protection Compact (CPC) alliance and is operated by the ministry’s Victims Services Division (VSD). 

Additionally, online and on-demand training, specifically designed by the US-based Warnath Group to support child trafficking victims, is available through the Justice Training Institute.

CONTINUITY OF BIPARTISAN PACT

In his remarks, US Ambassador to Jamaica Nick Perry said the new space augurs well for child victims and the continuity of the bipartisan pact.

“The two initiatives launched today were made possible by the hard work of, the Ministry of Justice’s Victim Services Division, the Justice Training Institute, and US implementing partner, the Warnath Group, as well as other anti-trafficking stakeholders committed to the island’s most vulnerable children,” noted the ambassador.

“These efforts are a testament to the commitments of both our governments to counter child trafficking and address the needs of victims under our US-Jamaica Child Protection Compact Partnership and beyond. With continued Jamaican leadership, resources, and political will, these two initiatives will be critical to ensuring the long-term sustainability of our partnership,” Perry added.

Justice Minister Delroy Chuck, for his part, underscored the need for more child intervention programmes particularly as Jamaica continues to address human trafficking. 

“The Jamaican Government is acutely aware of the importance of this initiative and the significance it plays towards providing a warm, less invasive space for our children who are victims of crime and other forms of violence. Unless assisted, these children become prime targets for further abuse and human trafficking,” said Chuck.

“We, therefore, thank the US Government for partnering with us to provide a safe space for our nation’s children and the technical assistance to develop a program that will equip Jamaicans with the skills and tools needed to identify and thereby lessen the incidents of child trafficking,” the minister asserted.

Designed with children’s needs in mind, child-friendly spaces offer a welcoming environment for juvenile crime victims, with respect to conducting interviews and assisting child victims and witnesses. 

In the Port Antonio space, the VSD will provide counselling, emotional support, crisis intervention, court preparation, and victim advocacy for child victims of crime, including human trafficking.  

Furnished by the Warnath Group, with funding under the CPC, the space also displays murals by Jamaican artist Monique Kidd, to bring colour and comfort to its young residents. ‘

LONG-TERM SUSTAINABILITY

What’s more, the Washington DC-based Warnath Group provided specialised training to officials operating the space to deliver quality, trauma-informed services to children. The online, on-demand training course, dubbed ‘Identifying and Interacting with Child Trafficking Victims’, was developed with technical assistance by the Warnath Group.

The training programme will provide Jamaican justice professionals with the skills to interact with child victims of crime in a trauma-informed way and effectively respond to their needs. This training content will be hosted and administered by Jamaica’s Justice Training Institute and will offer professional credits on an ongoing basis, ensuring long-term sustainability.

Course registration is available at: https://jti.edu.jm/

The US Government and Jamaica signed the CPC Partnership in 2018. As the first of its kind in the Caribbean, the CPC partnership outlines a four-year plan developed jointly to build on Jamaica’s existing efforts to prosecute and punish perpetrators of child trafficking, identify child trafficking victims, strengthen the provision of comprehensive protective services, and prevent child trafficking from occurring.