Wired868 Wired868 for smart sport news and opinion
The following statement on the death of Andrea Bharatt was submitted by the minister of social development and family services, Senator Donna Cox:
On behalf of the Ministry of Social Development and Family Services, I would like to extend condolences to the family, relatives and friends of Andrea Bharatt and give the assurance that the Ministry of Social Development and Family Services will make available all resources that are at its disposal to ameliorate the circumstances of this tragedy.
No parent, no relative, no one should have to endure such a tragedy with respect to their loved ones. We must continue to pray for the family, loved ones and for all others who fall victim to criminal elements.
There are no sufficient words to express the horror, the pain and the hurt that I feel too, as a woman, a daughter, and a citizen of this great Republic. From all indications, Andrea was not provocatively dressed, she was not alone in a strange area and she did not utilise an illegal taxi service.
In short, none of the usually inane and wholly inappropriate victim-blaming justifications can be utilised for her tragedy. The harsh truth is that Andrea was murdered by a person or persons with a sick mind and twisted perceptions about power and female dominance.
A life lost so young and innocently leaves so many questions and thoughts of what could have been done to save Andrea from such an ordeal. The time has come, indeed it has long gone, for us as a society to own up to the fact that there are huge deficiencies in the socialisation of our males.
It takes guts for us to hold up the mirror to them for an acknowledgement that they have not been the best partner, father, son, brother or friend that they could have been. It will take a lot for us and from us to redefine ourselves and discard the idea of manhood that requires them to have to always compete, win, dominate and control in order to feel like a ‘real man’.
There is no short cut to this solution, but the Ministry of Social Development and Family Services stands ready to do its part and calls on all citizens to accept their responsibility for so doing as well.
There are legislative interventions, which would assist the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service tremendously in the fight against crime and, as such, I would like to encourage my colleagues on the opposition bench to put aside any narrow parochial interests at this time and put country first.
There can be no divide when the lives of our daughters continue to be snuffed out by those with no respect for human life. As the collective grief of this country still weighs heavily in the atmosphere, I urge all of us, legislators and private citizens, the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service and the judiciary, as well as the wider citizenry to join hands and hearts in this battle.
The ministry will provide support to all affected to assist in coping with this unfortunate circumstance. In these challenging times, let us remember to be each other’s keeper and to be aware of our environment and any strange happenings, which we may observe and alert the authorities accordingly.
The Book of Jeremiah tells us that the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked and questions, who can know it? (Jeremiah 17:19 KJV). We must be reminded, however, that it is only God who can change our hearts because I firmly believe that at the heart of the matter is the heart of man.
The National Family Services Division continues to host free sensitisation workshops to address issues such as proper parenting, coping with stress, and issues related to domestic violence; and, as such, I urge the public, if you or anyone you know may be in need of its services, to contact the ministry at 623-2608, exts 6701–7.
Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley gave a superficial description of our country’s state of narco-infiltrated crime to the media on Read more
Resignation from political office is a rare event in our country and I had intended to comment on the significance Read more
“If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich.” Late Read more
On 3 February 2021, as Trinidad and Tobago was gripped by a search for 23-year-old clerk Andrea Bharatt, blogger Rhoda Read more
I was in Barbados last week. For five days, I was relieved of the need to think about the possibility Read more
With great dismay last Tuesday, I read the lamentation of three government ministers concerning the state of crime in Trinidad Read more
Want to share your thoughts with Wired868? Email us at editor@wired868.com.
Please keep your letter between 300 to 600 words and be sure to read it over first for typos and punctuation.
We don’t publish anonymously unless there is a good reason, such as an obvious threat of harassment or job loss.
