JAMAICA
Sunday Observer
BY NADINE WILSON Sunday Observer reporter wilsonn@jamaicaobserver.com
Sunday, May 27, 2012
THE wave of reports of childhood sexual abuse by persons entrusted with their care has prompted church leaders to implement a screening policy for Sunday school teachers and others employed to supervise children.
Two weeks ago, over 30 pastors representing a cross-section of churches across the country, held an emergency summit at the Caribbean Graduate School of Theology (CGST) in Kingston to review policies and implement measures to protect children in the care of church employees.
College president Dr Las Newman said the churches were very troubled by the increasing reports of sexual abuse of children and felt they should play their part in ensuring that children entrusted to their care are protected from sexual predators.
The introduction of the screening policy was accepted as one of the ways to address what many church leaders termed, “the crisis facing the nation.”
The policy, Dr Newman said, will apply to pastors, church elders, deacons, Sunday school teachers and youth workers, and will “look at the matter of recruitment and admission, background checks of people, police records and evaluation of people’s mental health, and people’s emotional health, and people’s past relationships with children.”
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