By ROGAN M. SMITH, NG Senior Reporter, rogan@nasguard.com

Former Social Services Minister Melanie Griffin says officials at a private school where a minor was caught on tape engaging in a sexual act "are obligated" to report that incident to police and Social Services.

School surveillance cameras reportedly caught a 9th-grade girl performing a sex act on a 17-year-old prefect at an after-school event last month.

After The Nassau Guardian broke the story, police said the school was duty-bound to report the matter and that they would investigate.

But later on, authorities vacillated, saying that if the school or the parents don't report the incident, they don't have to investigate it.

"The fact of the matter is, there's an obligation to report it and I think therin lies the problem based on what I have heard of this particular case. There is a mandate to report and that was not done and certainly I believe that the law will allow for there to be some repercussions," she said.

"The Attorney General's office usually decides what the end result would be and whether it is a matter that should be proceeded with. That is my recollection of how such matters are dealt with."

Griffin, who is the Opposition spokesman on Social Services, says the reported onslaught of heightened sexual encounters among minors in recent years make it crucial for the government to take a more proactive approach to protecting women and children.

She also urged the government to enforce the Child Protection and Domestic Violence Acts, which sailed through Parliament last year.

She was speaking during a press conference at Gambier House.

Griffin said had the Child Protection law been enforced, police would have had an opportunity to intervene and investigate the incident once they were made aware of it.

"The current law allows for the mandatory reporting of any sexual offense. In matters between minors usually what will happen is police, social services and the family would have been brought in or should have been brought in so that the children could get the necessary counseling and given the benefit of the advice of social services," she said.

According to Child Abuse Statistics for 2007, there were almost 1,600 cases of child abuse reported in The Bahamas - 672 children were reported neglected, 356 were reported as having been physically abused, 286 were sexually abused, 24 were abandoned, 21 were victims of incest, 20 were verbally/emotionally abused, and 44 were classified in the others category.

"These are just the reported cases," Griffin said. "Imagine those that are not (reported)."

Griffin says the Child Protection Act also makes provisions for distressed single fathers.

"It is a comprehensive act which deals with access of single fathers of children born out of wedlock - an issue that has distressed single fathers in our country for many years, an issue that causes a lot of anger that often leads to violence," she said.

"On behalf of our children, I ask the public to join with me in calling on the government to do what is necessary to bring the Child Protection Act, 2007 into force."

Griffin says she understands the Department of Social Services limitations, especially as it relates to manpower and financial resources. However, she made a special appeal to State Minister for Social Development, Loretta Butler-Turner to work towards getting both acts enforced.

"Recently, (Minister Turner) announced a campaign to protect children from exposure to pornography. I support this wholeheartedly. However, the legislation, once brought into force, gives the minister the power to make regulations as to matters concerning the issue of child pornography," she said.

"I know that the first inclination or response to this clarion call today will no doubt be defensive, but this issue should not be seen as a partisan one. We are all affected by this seemingly insurmountable wave of crime, violence and social decadence. We need to come together and do what needs to be done to protect our children and reduce the unacceptable levels of violence in this country."

Griffin says it's time to put partisan politics aside and work for the betterment of the country.

"We need to bring them into force so that we can have the benefit of this work that was done so unselfishly by so many. Let's put the partisan politics aside, our country demands it, our families and our children need it. I again invite every religious and civic organization to join us in this quest by calling on the government to bring these vital laws into force," Griffin said.