Director of RISE, Dr.Stephen King, a team representing the Sir Arthur Lewis Community College and the Ministries of Education, Human Resource Development and Finance had a lengthy conference call with officials of the US College. Dr.King and the RISE team met with the selected students yesterday and he told them that at the end of the meeting, the government representatives walked away with all the information they required about the scholarship program. The only piece of information the government has not gotten so far, Dr.King says, is from Bank of St.Lucia and its arrangements with the individual students on their loans. Dr.King says the government expressed concern about whether accommodation was covered under the scholarship and that the assurance has been given that the boarding for students is included in the scholarship along with meals. The government representatives expressed the desire to go visit the Institution and Dr.King says the US College is ready to receive the team and further discuss the initiative as well as give them a first hand look at how the school operates. Dr.King says everything is in place for the students to begin their studies including flights, visas. All that is needed he says is for the government to complete its due diligence and agree to the loan guarantee. Dr.King says he disagrees with queries that the amount is too high and has even volunteered to help raise the money in Trust so that government can feel more comfortable about the decision. Dr.King has implored the government and private sector to demonstrate the sort of generosity the US institution has extended to the St.Lucian youth and do all within their power to help their attain an opportunity that will change their lives for the better.
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Weeks after reports surfaced about an alleged brutal sexual assault of a minor by two other wards at the Boys Training Centre, the management of the BTC has come out vehemently denying the allegations. General Manager Lenard Terrence says investigations carried out by the Centre do not support the claim that the nine year old was sexually molested. According to Mr.Terrence, there is no medical evidence to corroborate the accusations. Family members of the young boy, sources at the BTC as well as the Family Court all contributed to the reports that were carried via radio, television and newspapers. CAFRA representative, Flavia Cherry also condemned the alleged abuse and called for the authorities to clean up the BTC. However, Mr.Terrence in challenging comments attributed to Ms.Cherry says her statement that the boy’s anus was ruptured is untrue because the medical report shows that the child’s anus had not been spilt, ruptured or even tampered with. Mr.Terrence says Ms.Cherry was also wrong when she said that the child was taken to the hospital when workers noticed he was bleeding through his anus. The BTC Manager says, the boy was admitted at Hospital for a totally different medical reason after medication he got at the Gros Islet Polyclinic was not effective. Mr.Terrence has also corrected Ms.Cherry on the statement that the BTC is housing boys as young as age three for care and protection and end up being abused or corrupted by those there for criminal offences. He says by Law no child that young is placed at the centre. The BTC he says accommodates boys age ten to sixteen. However there are instances where a boy who is over 16 maybe kept at the Centre but not over 18 years.
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Meantime, Flavia Cherry has defended herself saying that she was convinced that the information she received pertaining to the case was credible because sources at the BTC and Family Court had provided the information. She says she had no reason to doubt what the sources were saying to her. What is interesting about the situation, Ms.Cherry says is the concern that was expressed by both sources that there was an effort to cover up what had taken place. The allegation of a cover up was also expressed by relatives of the young boy who said they had not been notified about him having any medical condition until he was admitted at the Children’s Ward at Victoria Hospital and officials requested that his family come in. Ms.Cherry says she hopes the authorities are not looking to use their contradiction of her statements as a way of avoiding the bigger problems that exist at the Centre. She says the fact is that there are several issues that need to be resolved at the BTC.
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