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P 041935Z DEC 07
FM AMEMBASSY BRIDGETOWN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5847
INFO RUCNCOM/EC CARICOM COLLECTIVE
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BRIDGETOWN 001482 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
WHA/CAR FOR ALAIN NORMAN 
SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD 
DRL FOR GREG MAGGIO 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL SOCI EAID SC XL KWMN
SUBJECT: THE UNDERBELLY OF SUCCESS: ST. KITTS' KID CRISIS 
 
 ¶1. (U) Summary: Recent newspaper stories in St. Kitts and 
Nevis have highlighted the plight of child abuse in that 
country.  The operator of a government-subsidized Children's 
Home has complained of threats against the home's female 
occupants and a recent incident in which a Cuban diplomat is 
alleged to have struck a Kittitian child have put a spotlight 
on a usually taboo subject in this otherwise flourishing 
twin-island federation.  End Summary. 
 
ABUSE IN THE NEWS... 
-------------------- 
 
¶2. (U) A spate of recent newspaper headlines in St. Kitts and 
Nevis covering a rash of child-abuse incidents has raised the 
profile of a subject not frequently talked about in the 
country.  In the most sensational of these cases, the 
Ministry of Foreign Affairs intervened in a case in which an 
unnamed official from the Cuban Embassy to St. Kitts and 
Nevis is accused of slapping an 8-year old Kittitian boy on 
October 26 when the boy was playing with the diplomat's 
daughter.  According to the Sun St.Kitts/Nevis newspaper, the 
diplomat was detained and taken to the Basseterre Police 
Station, but was not/not arrested since he has diplomatic 
immunity.  The incident made headlines for several days, and 
the child's father, St. Clair Williams, has stated he plans 
to sue the Cuban official.  Neither the Cuban nor the St. 
Kitts/Nevis government has explained what action will be 
taken against the Cuban official in question. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Concurrently, other stories involving child abuse 
have hit the headlines of St. Kitts/Nevis newspapers.  In 
early November the Sun reported that local teenagers had cut 
holes in the Children's Home's fence and attempted to accost 
and molest the young children who live there.  In addition, 
PolOff met with Robert Hull, director of the St. Christopher 
Children's Home, accompanied by St. Kitts/Nevis Associate 
Peace Corps Director Mavis Huggins.  According to Hull, the 
home was opened some time in the early 1900's by a private 
organization, but was eventually taken over by the 
(then-colonial) government.  Hull confirmed the newspaper 
reports and claimed that even since publication, there has 
still been no police presence in the area.  Hull noted that 
the Home is mostly funded by the GOSKN, which provides 
$30,000 USD of the Home's yearly budget of $43,000.  The 
remaining $13,000 USD is provied by private donors. 
 
¶4. (U) The Home currently houses 12 children, varying in age 
from three to eventeen, including five girls.  Hull claims 
theHome an accommodate 30 children, though the buildng is 
clearly old and lacks air conditioning.  Al of the children 
are placed in the Home by courtorder, at the recommendation 
of the Social Welfae Department.  Hull stated that most of 
the children have been physically or sexually abused, but 
admitted that they have little to no means to provide any 
counseling for the children.  Mr. Hull noted occasional USG 
assistance to the Home, in the form of a Peace Corps 
Volunteer (PCV) and a U.S. Navy vessel that once visited port 
and came by to paint the entire Home.  Ms. Huggins expressed 
her interest in having a PCV return to work at the Home. 
 
...AND IN THE COURTS 
-------------------- 
 
¶5. (SBU) Besides these two incidents, other child abuse 
stories have dominated the news.  On November 23rd the 
Leewards Times mistakenly reported on its front page that a 
police officer was awaiting a verdict in his trial on incest 
with his 12-year old daughter.  After local law enforcement 
leaders appeared on television condemning the mistake, the 
paper issued a retraction, clarifying that the accused is a 
former Nevis police officer. 
 
¶6. (SBU) In a separate incident, a 12-year old boy was 
convicted of "house breaking and larceny" for stealing a .38 
semi-automatic pistol and was sentenced to 10 lashes, in 
addition to a curfew and mandatory counseling sessions.  In 
contrast to the outrage sparked by the slapping incident 
involving a Cuban official, this case has caused no uproar, 
and indicates that Kittitians are still generally tolerant of 
corporal punishment.  According to a reporter at the Sun St. 
Kitts/Nevis, such "strokes" delivered as punishment are less 
common than a few years ago, but are still used by the GOSKN 
 
BRIDGETOWN 00001482  002 OF 002 
 
 
as form of punishment for juveniles. 
 
LACK OF SOCIAL SERVICES INFRASTRUCTURE 
-------------------------------------- 
 
¶7. (SBU) While the St. Kitts/Nevis courts have heard seven 
child abuse cases this year, public sector resources for 
child abuse victims are not abundant.  In addition to the St. 
Christopher's Children's home, another NGO named "Save Our 
Sons" or "SOS" has attempted to help abused and at-risk boys 
develop in a safe environment.  The NGO originally received 
government subsidies, but is now run entirely with private 
funds, mostly provided by the founder Clive Saunders, who is 
also a High School guidance counselor.  SOS currently houses 
five boys, and a PCV currently provides tutoring once a week. 
 
¶8. (U) Another NGO focused on ending domestic violence, Men 
Underpinning St. Kitts (MUSK), recently held a domestic 
violence symposium for the police force, social services, 
nurses, and the Ministry of Gender Affairs, and is starting a 
working group for these members to brainstorm on ways to 
fight widespread domestic violence in St. Kitts/Nevis.  The 
government's Ministry of Gender Affairs (in conjunction with 
the Peace Corps) is active in raising awareness for domestic 
violence, but has few resources to provide counseling, and 
there is only one child psychiatrist in the country, who is 
reportedly overworked. 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
¶9. (SBU) The child abuse situation in St. Kitts and Nevis is 
not unique among the seven nations of the Eastern Caribbean. 
As St. Kitts and Nevis continues to enjoy success in economic 
development, it remains to be seen whether it will similarly 
develop the socio-political will to tackle the endemic, if 
most often invisible, problem of child abuse.  Unfortunately, 
if the experience of other Caribbean nations is any 
indicator, it is unlikely that economic growth will lead to 
new sensitivities in the near term.  End Comment. 
HOWARD