Participant in this morning's walk/run against child abuse.

Deputy Secretary in the Ministry of Health and Social Development Department, Mrs. Carolyn Stout-Igwe, thanking the participants of the Child Prevention walk/run

In speaking to the organizer of the event, Division Head of the Family and Children Services within the SDD, Mrs. Stacie James, she commented, "For our 6th year, it was very successful, we had representatives from different organizations, we had the Muslim community coming out to support, I saw members from the security board, members from different churches and individual citizens. I think overall, we had a successful morning, where God gave us serenity and clear skies and a good walk."

Deputy Secretary in the Ministry of Health and Social Development Department, Mrs. Carolyn Stout-Igwe, thanked all the participants who participated in the walk, she said the walk was good and hoped every one enjoyed it because it was for a good cause, which is the prevention of Child Abuse.

"Thank you for coming out, remember it’s not only this month, the month of April, but throughout the year we need to be aware of the welfare of our children in this territory, thank you for supporting the prevention of child abuse, and remember child abuse is everybody’s business."

Speaking with some of the participants who participated in the walk/run, they all shared the same sentiments, saying the run was a good run, and it is for a good cause.

According to one participant, "The run was a very energetic run, it was good. I think the participation could have been more, I like the fact that so much people came together to partake in such an event like this for a good cause."

Mr. Musa Muhammad, President of The New Africa Islamic Dawah Centre said, in the Islamic community and the Islamic religion, they believe that anything that affects the community, it is a failure of the entire community.

“We came out to give support to this worthy cause, because we are a part of this community, so if it affects you, it affects us, and we treat this whole issue as if it was a body, we think it was needed and was well arranged and we are happy to be a part of it.”

Meanwhile, the SDD is scheduled to have training sessions for persons who work with children who have been exposed to violence, on April 30 2012 at the Training Division Conference Room at 8:30 a.m.- 4:30p.m.

She told this news site that the session are expected to have delegates from, the Police Family and Juvenile Department, Family and Juvenile Unit, Community Mental Health, Sandy lane Rehabilitation Centre, Social Workers from Peebles Hospital and the Social Development Department and Guidance Counsellors from the Education Department.

The one day training is being held under the theme ‘Effective providers for victimised children or children who have been exposed to violence”.

Mrs. James stated that the goal of the training sessions is to increase the capacity of how professionals carry out their duties effectively and to provide services for children who have been exposed to violence.

She disclosed that within the Virgin Islands, from 2009-2011 there were 15 arrest, of persons guilty of endangering a child, with 14 of the cases being of a sexual nature.

She said in 2011, 38 cases of child abuse were reported to her department, of which 17 were alleged sexual abuse, in 2010 there were 63 reported cases with 24 of the cases being alleged sexual abuse and in 2009 there were 74 child abuse cases, of which 18 were alleged sexual abuse cases.