PHILIPSBURG–Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sports (ECYS) Wycliffe Smith is saddened by the passing of public education pupil, four-year-old Glayvon Bartlette, whose death is being investigated by the Prosecutor’s office. The young boy is said to have passed away in Colombia recently and he is said to have had narcotics in his system.
“One can only imagine the pain that comes from losing a child at such a tender age. To the parents, grandparents, family and loved ones, on behalf of myself and the entire Ministry of ECYS, I extend to you our deepest sympathies,” Smith said during the Council of Ministers press briefing on Wednesday.
“While we understand that there is much speculation in the media concerning the circumstances of Glayvon’s passing, let us be respectful of the family’s time of bereavement. We must allow them this time to process their grief and give the authorities the opportunity to conduct their investigations,” Smith added.
The Prosecutor’s Office has started an investigation into why narcotics was found in the body of the young child.
“The Prosecutor was informed about the situation in the late hours of Saturday evening. An investigation has started, aimed at finding out the cause of the presence of certain narcotics in the child’s bloodstream and if a criminal offence was committed,” Prosecutor’s Office spokesperson for St. Maarten Hazel Durand told The Daily Herald on Tuesday. “In the interest of this investigation and out of respect for the mourning process of the family members, we will not be making any further comments at this time,” she added.
In the meantime, Smith said he met with the management of Turning Point Foundation (TPF) just over a week ago to discuss plans to host a drug awareness programme for schools. The aim of this initiative is to prevent drug use and abuse as Smith said it is on the rise in the country. TPF clinical director Dr. Judith Arndell and programme coordinator Fernando Richardson are “excitedly working” on a revision of their plans which they will present to the Ministry. “The prevention and intervention plan will help our children to avoid these harmful substances,” Smith said.
Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/80341-smith-saddened-by-passing-of-4-year-old
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