Charging that “people with disabilities are continuously abused in this country” Minister of People Empowerment and Elder Affairs Kirk Humphrey, is calling for a halt to the practice, particularly of young women.
“Sometimes you see a person that you know because of their level of development, is still at the level of a child and you see them pregnant. . . Sometimes they cannot even tell you who the father is, and that is because some person is taking advantage of the situation.
“We have to bring an end to those things. I also feel, of course, that persons with disabilities are allowed to have their sexual freedom like anybody else; should be allowed, if they are cognitive enough to make the decisions, to pursue relationships like anybody else if they are able to make that determination. But when they are not and people are taking advantage of them, we have to make those persons feel the weight of the law,” Humphrey said.
This was part of an impassioned presentation to the House of Assembly during debate of a resolution that would allow the leasing of land at the Garfield Sobers Sports Complex to the Rotary Inclusive Play Trust for development of an inclusive sports facility for the disabled. (Nation News)
