FIVE PARENTS WERE brought before the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court recently to answer to charges of neglecting their children.
The children ages 10-14, wash windshields at intersections in the Three Miles/ Marcus Garvey Drive area of St. Andrew. They were brought to the Hunts Bay Police Station after they reportedly assaulted motorists and damaged some persons' vehicles. Their parents were then called in.
Resident Magistrate Martin Gayle had harsh words for the parents and told them that they need to play more active roles in the lives of their children. He told them to be more observant and to spend time checking whether their children actually go to school when sent.
DIFFERENT STORIES
The five, Marcia Plummer, Joan Blye, Calder Fowling, Hubert Bennett and Joan Cross, all had different stories - there was however, one common theme. They all said they were unaware of the fact that their children were on the roads and that they thought they were at school.
Marcia Plummer said of her 14-year-old son: " mi neva have nuh money fi sen im go school, so mi gi im $100 fi go Tastee go buy patty and come back home and a dis mi hear." RM Gayle, however, was not moved and remained firm in his stance that the parents were not involved enough in the children's lives.
Hubert Bennett's attempt to portray himself as the model parent was also shot down by the Resident Magistrate. Bennett told RM Gayle that he disciplined his son and that he gave members of the community permission to reprimand his son.
The five are to be tried on the 14th of December.
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