TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO
Guardian
Tuesday, July 22, 2014
ANNA-LISA PAUL
The teenager who came forward to report allegations of sexual and physical abuse and negligence at the St Michael’s School for Boys, Diego Martin, says he is willing to give the police a statement on the matter which is currently under investigation. The 19-year-old victim said he had remained silent before because he thought no one would believe him. But after a probe into the death at the school of Brandon Hargreaves, the teenager said he was ready to speak out. Referring to the teenager’s T&T Guardian interview, during which he confirmed the allegations in the report, chairman of the Child Protection Task Force Diana Mahabir-Wyatt said: “It sounds entirely believable. It is consistent with the findings of the investigative committee.”Commenting on that report, she said: “The report is accurate. We have known for years that things were wrong at the home. It’s horrible.” Asked to comment on the statement she made just after Hargreaves’ death that there was no need for further investigation, Mahabir-Wyatt said: “No outside investigation at that time was warranted because there was already an internal investigation going on. “The ministry had set up an investigative committee and it was not appropriate to appoint another investigative committee when that was going on.” There are now reports that Hargreaves was beaten to death by another boy at the home in a fight which was ignored by supervisors sitting nearby. But at the time Mahabir-Wyatt was also reported as saying: “Think back over Brandon and his mom. Accidents do happen and boys do battle each other and from the report Brandon was trying to kickbox somebody and fell backwards. “Well, I have seen my own son try to do that.
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