Senior Magistrate Valerie Stephens, at a Bar Association Town Hall meeting held on Wednesday, September 17, bemoaned the fact that there isn’t any enforcement for truancy in the Territory.

Her statement comes on the heels of some 148 youths appearing before her during the months of January through August, 2008 to answer criminal complaints.

“We find that most of these youths are not in school. In some cases they have been suspended or out of school for months,” Stephens stated. “It’s a serious problem….because the devil finds work for idle hands!”

In light of this, the Magistrate is of the view that something has to be done about discipline in schools because, “suspension is not working.”

“You’re removing the problem from the schools into the streets,” she pointed out.

One recommendation to redress the problem Magistrate Stephens mentioned is to find work for those ‘strong 16 year-olds’ who get up in the mornings to lime. 

“Their parents do it, so let them find work if they’re that bored,” she suggested.

She also stressed that under the Constitution – each child has a right to an education, and stressed to the audience that it’s their duty to ask a student why he or she is not in school, if seen on the road after 9 a.m.

Court Assessor, Pastor Melville Turnbull stated that society is now adjusting to address the issue, and pointed to the fact that teachers and parents alike try to ‘patch up’ mistakes made by the youth population. 

He recalled an instance where a 16 year-old was in Primary School – class three and when asked what he does, the child replied ‘Hang out, chill out.” And when the mother was approached about the situation she said her child would be placed in an alternative school.

“This probably works, but if we keep allowing this and shifting to give them leverage they [the youths] are going to abuse the system,” said Pastor Turnbull.

He vehemently stated that youths have to respect themselves, teachers and parents. 

Curfews  

When youths are placed on curfew, parents are asked to reinforce it.

“They are under house arrest,” Magistrate Stephens pointed out. “If they have to be home at 7 pm, coming home at 7:10 is unacceptable.

The Magistrate acknowledged that the Territory’s legislation speaks about an Attendance Centre, “but unfortunately we don’t have the infrastructure.”

Therefore, Magistrate Stephens stated, between the Court and the Social Development Department – the law has to be enforced. “Prison is the last option,” she added.

Meanwhile, the number of criminal activities involving youths is gang-related, Magistrate Stephens revealed, with the average age being between 14 and 15.

She disclosed that while presiding over Youth Court this year, there were 18 criminal complaints in January; 19 in February, 27 in March; five in April; six in May; while in June, July and August the numbers were 23, 33 and 17 respectively.

The meeting, which was considered a success, forms part of a new initiative by the Bar Association to cement its place as a major contributor to the community.

President of the Bar, Tana’ania Small-Davis in a previous interview with the StandPoint said the Bar wants to become a visible participant in the society at large not just lawyers doing work for clients and getting paid.

“One thing that came first and foremost to my mind is the high incidence of youth being charged with criminal offences so much so that there has been the establishment of a youth court which has too many names on the list as far as I am concerned,” said Small-Davis.

Other contributors at the meeting included Assistant Principal for Discipline of the Elmore Stoutt High School, Arthur Selwood; Early Childhood Education Officer, Cecily Malone and Stacey Mather of the Youth Empowerment Programme (YEP).

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