Some good news had come in the form of this Alpha Boys School to become Vocational Training Centre
Now comes this strong denial from the administrators of the home yet again denying that the claims of sexual grooming and predatory are not true; bearing in mind The Minister’s exact words regarding the same sex activities she said she was told by the Nuns at Alpha (Roman Catholic sisters of Mercy) in February was as follows:
“The sisters of mercy cited the grave anti social behaviour ….. the sexual predatory nature of the boys on one another on a daily basis ……… the incapability of human capital to respond to the many and changing faces of the issues manifested today, the challenge is further compounded by the high cost of care for each child.”
Are the sisters going by their own assessment of the situation from a church standpoint thus interpreting the matter as predatory (not saying it is all together true) there was some denial of the reasons for the discontinued residency component by one PR representative Joshua Chamberlain who said on radio “There is absolutely no truth from those suggesting the home is shutting down partly due to inappropriate behaviour among Alpha Boys, residential care if transitioning to day care……” I guess the goodly PR rep is trying to avoid a generalization that the boys are wholesale perverts as slightly suggested by the Youth Minister.
The Observer today reports (with a previous cartoon to boot):
ALPHA Boys' Home administrators yester-day made it clear that their decision to close the institution's residential programme was influenced by "many factors related to finance and personnel".
The revelation was made in a statement issued by the Sisters of Mercy — a Catholic order of nuns responsible for the operations of the home -- in response to what they described as "unfortunate statements... and resulting media commentaries, including a shocking cartoon, which have been disrespectful and have caused great stress to our students".
"We wish to express our sadness at these turn of events on behalf of Alpha students and children in State care everywhere in Jamaica," the Sisters of Mercy said.
The nuns did not name Youth and Culture Minister Lisa Hanna in their statement. However, it was clear that their disapproval was also directed at her announcement last week that the residential programme was being closed due to antisocial and psychotic behaviour by boys living at Alpha.
Hanna had called a press conference and said that "the Sisters of Mercy cited the grave antisocial behaviour of children in the care system, the sexual predatory nature of the boys on one another, children who are witnesses of serious crimes or are victims of heinous acts, and who are non-responsive to traditional interventions for which their institutions have been equipped to provide".
But yesterday, the nuns suggested that those "untruths and half-truths... voiced and published in the press about the closure of the residential programme" have caused serious damage to the boys living at Alpha.
"They feel rejected, their pain is great," Sister Marie Chin, area administrator for the Sisters of Mercy, said in reference to the boys in a discussion with the Jamaica Observer yesterday.
She said that since the "irresponsible" announcement last week, the boys are being labelled as homosexuals, a branded Alpha Boys' Home bus was stoned, people have been yelling at the driver, and teachers at the school have been confronted by individuals on the streets.
Sister Marie reiterated that cost was a major factor in the nuns' decision and confirmed information relayed to the Observer that Alpha was being granted a quarter of the funds allocated to Government-run orphanages monthly, despite repeated pleas by the nuns to be brought on par.
"The $6,000 per child is used to cover their education, food, clothing -- all their needs," Sister Marie said.
"We are deeply committed to taking care of boys at risk, but we need help," she said.
In their statement yesterday, the Sisters of Mercy pointed out that the issues of financing and adequate personnel were not new and were raised with successive governments over several years.
The nuns reiterated that St John Bosco Children's Home in Mandeville, which they also operate, will continue to provide residential care to over 100 boys.
However, the decision in relation to Alpha, they said, is timely, given the Child Development Agency's new thrust toward foster care and family reintegration.
"The restructuring of Alpha will facilitate the Sisters of Mercy along with the Ministry of Education and HEART to offer remedial education for more than 200 boys, along with technical and vocational education," the nuns said.
"Our renowned music education will also be expanded to include radio, sound production and commercial components,"
they said.
ENDS
Meanwhile on radio since the news broke some commentators have misconstrued the described same gender sex activity as a plot to homosexualize the boys, take this clip from Newstalk 93FM:
Let us watch this one to see where it goes folks but I do not like the tone and colour of this conversation at all when placed on the backdrop of LGBT rights and perceived homo-paedophile intent. Abuse is abuse no matter the gender of the perpetrator or victim, any adult that is attracted to a child below the age of consent has a diagnosable disorder according to the diagnostic criteria for such disorders in the Diagnostic Statistical Manual, DSM.
Situation homosexuality among peers in my view is a totally different scenario although some cases my have duress or abuse as features as well but they must be addressed as needed.
Peace and tolerance
H
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