The mother of a nine-year-old boy whounderwent emergency surgery yesterdayto repair the shattered bones in his right elbow, after being beaten by a bully in school, said someone has to pay for her child's injuries.
Shareefa Ali said if the child who committed the savage act is a minor and cannot be penalised, then his parents must be charged. However, former attorney general Anand Ramlogan, who has agreed to represent Ali and her family in this matter, said there was precedent inT&T for a child that age to be charged.
Ali said the brutal act was not an isolated incident, but the culmination of constantabuse at the hands of this young boy, who beats up on not only her son, but other classmates as well.
"Parents must start taking responsibility for their children's action," the Mayaro woman said during an interview from her son's bedside at the Sangre Grande Hospital, yesterday.
She said doctors told her that the chances of her son holding a pen, pencil, crayon or anything in his right hand was very slim because of the extent of the injuries.
The broken bones also damaged some of the nerves in the hand.
She said the doctor also told her the road to his recovery will be a long one, with no guarantee he would have full use of his hand.
It was on Wednesday afternoon during the recess period that the victim, a student of the Mayaro Government Primary School, was in the playground with other classmates, when the aggressor pounced on him and began cuffing and kicking him. Dad Chris Khan said he was told by his son that hefell to the ground and his classmatestomped on his right hand until the bones shattered.
A report was made to the Mayaro Police Station on Wednesday, but Ali said the police did not take their report.
Ali said Education Minister Anthony Garcia also called her yesterday to enquire about her son and asked her to keep him updated on the child's progress.
Garcia said a "thorough investigation" will be carried out into the "accident" would await the results of that investigation before making any further pronouncements.