‘Child killers’ phenomenon a source of grave concern - AFC
The Alliance for Change (AFC) yesterday said that there should be sociological study into the root cause of the phenomenon of child killers.
According to party leader, Raphael Trotman, even if the current crop of child killers was to be wiped out if there was no investigation and intervention at the stage of the root causes then the next crop would be even more dangerous than present.
Trotman alluded to the fact that the new breed of criminals was becoming younger and younger with criminals such as Nasty Man and others having been spawned ever since 1992.
Trotman said that his party was very concerned given that the young men were being adversely influenced and apparently did not see themselves as having a life in Guyana such as growing up, going to school, getting a job and being married among other things, “as God intended them to do”.
He noted that because of the prevailing circumstances, they (child killers) are being converted to crime.
Trotman emphasised the need to identify the root cause of crime. “What is driving young men at age 13 to take up an AK-47 and confront the security forces?”
He added that there needs to be a stance involving not just the shooting to death of these young men but to also understand the genesis of their actions.
“If you manage by some means to wipe out this entire gang then the ground still remains fertile for more like them to take their place and the next crop is going to be far worse…little effort.” has been going into the studies
Minister of Home Affairs, Clement Rohee, during the 2008 Budget debates, lauded advances by the police when he listed a number of persons who were shot and killed by the police.
He had elaborated on what he called politically motivated crimes, saying that such crimes had nothing to do with poverty in that some unemployed youths in their formative years can be influenced by politicians or social malcontents who wished to leverage their political agenda utilising various means, including the use of force and gangs.
Regarding the possibility of making the call through a resolve clause in a parliamentary motion, Trotman said that past experiences did not bode well for such a course of action.
He drew reference to the tabling of the legislation to legalise casino gambling where the AFC had asked for a study to be conducted by the University of Guyana and was staunchly denied by the ruling party, as was the case with a motion to review Guyana Power and Light.
He noted that the party was not ruling out the possibility of approaching Parliament to call for a sociological study.
Evidence has emerged that the gang believed controlled by Guyana’s most wanted man, Rondell Rawlins, consists mainly of teenage boys.
Recent revelations suggest that many of the members of the gang are no more than 17 years old.
Dwayne Sancho, who was captured by the security forces on Monday in a trail near Ituni, is only 14 years old, while Otis Fiffee, called ‘Mud Up,’ who was killed during the initial raid two Fridays ago, and Robin Chung, called ‘Chung Boy’ were mere 17 and 15 years old respectively.
Sancho is expected to be charged with several accounts of murders linked to the gang given his confession as being a part of the gang.
Initially, Fiffee’s age was stated as 21 years old; however, when this newspaper visited Buxton yesterday during his funeral, the age on his coffin was stated as 17. His parents had given the earlier age.
In recent times another young man James Hyles, 19, was charged with several counts of murder stemming from the Lusignan massacre.
Jermaine Peters, 15, was also killed in Buxton during a confrontation with police.
He was accused of the shooting to death of a police rank.
Some other names linked to high profile murders in recent times are Nasty Man, 14, Jermaine ‘Skinny’ Charles who was arrested while still a teenager along with Dwight Da Silva and Quincy Evans among others.
The Alliance for Change (AFC) yesterday said that there should be sociological study into the root cause of the phenomenon of child killers.
According to party leader, Raphael Trotman, even if the current crop of child killers was to be wiped out if there was no investigation and intervention at the stage of the root causes then the next crop would be even more dangerous than present.
Trotman alluded to the fact that the new breed of criminals was becoming younger and younger with criminals such as Nasty Man and others having been spawned ever since 1992.
Trotman said that his party was very concerned given that the young men were being adversely influenced and apparently did not see themselves as having a life in Guyana such as growing up, going to school, getting a job and being married among other things, “as God intended them to do”.
He noted that because of the prevailing circumstances, they (child killers) are being converted to crime.
Trotman emphasised the need to identify the root cause of crime. “What is driving young men at age 13 to take up an AK-47 and confront the security forces?”
He added that there needs to be a stance involving not just the shooting to death of these young men but to also understand the genesis of their actions.
“If you manage by some means to wipe out this entire gang then the ground still remains fertile for more like them to take their place and the next crop is going to be far worse…little effort.” has been going into the studies
Minister of Home Affairs, Clement Rohee, during the 2008 Budget debates, lauded advances by the police when he listed a number of persons who were shot and killed by the police.
He had elaborated on what he called politically motivated crimes, saying that such crimes had nothing to do with poverty in that some unemployed youths in their formative years can be influenced by politicians or social malcontents who wished to leverage their political agenda utilising various means, including the use of force and gangs.
Regarding the possibility of making the call through a resolve clause in a parliamentary motion, Trotman said that past experiences did not bode well for such a course of action.
He drew reference to the tabling of the legislation to legalise casino gambling where the AFC had asked for a study to be conducted by the University of Guyana and was staunchly denied by the ruling party, as was the case with a motion to review Guyana Power and Light.
He noted that the party was not ruling out the possibility of approaching Parliament to call for a sociological study.
Evidence has emerged that the gang believed controlled by Guyana’s most wanted man, Rondell Rawlins, consists mainly of teenage boys.
Recent revelations suggest that many of the members of the gang are no more than 17 years old.
Dwayne Sancho, who was captured by the security forces on Monday in a trail near Ituni, is only 14 years old, while Otis Fiffee, called ‘Mud Up,’ who was killed during the initial raid two Fridays ago, and Robin Chung, called ‘Chung Boy’ were mere 17 and 15 years old respectively.
Sancho is expected to be charged with several accounts of murders linked to the gang given his confession as being a part of the gang.
Initially, Fiffee’s age was stated as 21 years old; however, when this newspaper visited Buxton yesterday during his funeral, the age on his coffin was stated as 17. His parents had given the earlier age.
In recent times another young man James Hyles, 19, was charged with several counts of murder stemming from the Lusignan massacre.
Jermaine Peters, 15, was also killed in Buxton during a confrontation with police.
He was accused of the shooting to death of a police rank.
Some other names linked to high profile murders in recent times are Nasty Man, 14, Jermaine ‘Skinny’ Charles who was arrested while still a teenager along with Dwight Da Silva and Quincy Evans among others.
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