The Tribune

By RICARDO WELLS

Tribune Staff Reporter

rwells@tribunemedia.net

POLICE are expected to close their investigation into the alleged student beating at CH Reeves Junior High School in the coming days, The Tribune understands.

Royal Bahamas Police Force press liaison officer, Superintendent Shanta Knowles yesterday confirmed that officers attached to the South-Central Division could finalise their investigation and review of the case as early as today, with a view to making a decision on the matter this week.

The announcement of the investigation came after advocacy group Rights Bahamas called on the Minnis administration and the Ministry of Education to address an incident of corporal punishment at the school as a violation of both human rights and child laws.

According to reports, a male student was reportedly beaten by an official after he allegedly verbally disrespected his teacher last week.

Since then, a photo purportedly of his visibly bruised posterior has been circulated on social media.

In the wake of the posting and urging by Rights Bahamas, the Ministry of Education issued a statement in which it announced the commencement of its own investigation.

That release read, in part: “The ministry has commenced an investigation in the matter and will be making a public statement when that investigation concludes. In the meantime, the ministry advises that it acknowledges, respects and protects the inherent (dignity) and sacred value of all persons. It guards most especially the critical values of the very vulnerable children in its care, and is most jealous of its responsibility to ensure their safety and optimum health – be it physical, psychological, mental, spiritual, intellectual, social and cultural.”

It added: “Therefore, the ministry will not tolerate, in any circumstances, the maltreatment, abuse or neglect of any child or person under its jurisdiction whatsoever, howsoever. To the extent that the ministry becomes aware that any such illegal, unethical or unacceptable behaviour has been or is being committed, it will be addressed with the swiftest repudiation and sanction by this ministry.”

Education officials have not made public the scope of its investigation or provided a timeline for its results to be made public.

Up to press time yesterday, calls placed to both Education Minister Jeffrey Lloyd and Education Director Marcellus Taylor went unanswered.

In March, following a similar incident, Mr Lloyd told The Tribune that under his leadership, education officials may revise school policies on corporal punishment, insisting modern research shows it to be an ineffective way of disciplining children.

In that interview, the South Beach MP insisted that children should only be beaten in schools if all other options have been exhausted and in the most egregious of circumstances.