Sexual misconduct has been a “long-ignored problem” at Montserrat Secondary School (MSS) but urgent action is now being taken, according to education minister Ingrid Buffonge.
Speaking in the Montserrat Legislative Assembly on Tuesday, 25 February, she called it an “extremely troubling” issue that affects students both inside and outside the school grounds.
“Unfortunately, this misconduct includes both misconduct among the students themselves, but also includes abuse by adults who have preyed on MSS students for generations,” she said.
The minister was responding to a question from opposition leader Paul Lewis who asked for an outline of government policy initiatives to address sexual misconduct cases at the school.
She told members of the assembly that she is aware it is an extremely sensitive topic and that certain measures will require discussion with members of the public before implementation.
Improved surveillance
Buffonge said the Ministry of Education has made plans for several policy initiatives to address the problem, including improved surveillance of the school grounds in Salem.
“As a ministry, we have been asking for security cameras on the MSS compound to monitor activity, to deter behavioural problems and to help with determining the main perpetrators,” she said.
She added that the education ministry is “anxiously” awaiting funding for this initiative.
Buffonge went on to explain that the ministry continues to encourage security officers to diligently monitor the compound.
“Unfortunately, the layout of the MSS makes this challenging, and we are strongly considering increasing the count of security officers,” she said.
There are also plans in place for a multi-agency team, including police and social services, to assess security requirements, establish best practices, and determine needed input, Buffonge said.
Professional support
Buffonge explained that specific professionals such as clinical psychologists and guidance counsellors are essential at schools in managing and guiding both offenders and victims.
She said that child offenders need psychosocial support as well as legal action, as they may have been subjects of abuse themselves in the past.
This will make sure they continue to have good mental health and prevent them from reoffending, the education minister told the assembly.
The rejuvenation of the Montserrat Safeguarding Board is a targeted initiative of the ministry to protect children in schools and communities, Buffonge said.
In addition, the government is hiring a child safeguarding officer to help with the planning and implementation of the ministry’s approach to protecting children.
Sexual misconduct refers to inappropriate or unlawful sexual behaviour, including harassment, abuse or exploitation.
In October 2024, an article from the Caribbean Investigative Journalism Network spoke about a history of abuse of high school students in Montserrat.
