Dear Editor,
I write with deep concern and urgency about the crisis gripping our Ministry of Human Services and Social Security. The tragic death of Aleena Preetam and assault on Tiana Chapman demand more than sympathy; they require legal scrutiny. The Ministry bears a statutory duty to protect vulnerable children and families. When that duty is not met in accordance with the required professional standard of care, the law recognizes the possibility of negligence.
Serious concerns have emerged regarding leadership competence, staffing qualifications, and decision-making processes within the Ministry, including the ChildCare and Protection Agency. Staff are reportedly demoralized and disheartened and do not even receive the basic materials to effectively undertake their work. If systemic failures, inadequate supervision, or departures from accepted child protection standards contributed to these deaths, the issue is not merely administrative, it is legal.
Public authorities are not immune from civil accountability. Where a duty of care exists, and where breach causes foreseeable harm, affected families may seek remedy through the courts for damages sustained. Rather than sideline expertise in favour of politically loyal individuals,
Poor and working class Guyanese families depend almost entirely on the Ministry for safety, support, and survival. When unqualified leadership and inadequate staffing lead to neglect, the consequences are tragic. And we are seeing this in the form of too many of our youths, pensioners, suffering preventable illness, death, hardship and involvement in crime.
To the families who are suffering or have suffered as a result of negligence by the hands of the Ministry, the government ministries and departments are not powers unto themselves. They are legally bound to provide services and to uphold the duty of care they have to members of the public. When one or more actions contribute to negligence in service delivery or otherwise, government departments may be liable for either failing to take the required actions or failing to take them as required by the standard of care.
To the families, your frustration is felt throughout Guyana. I implore you to seek justice for your loved ones and others who perhaps are experiencing similar frustrations and losses.