The Tribune

WHAT more could have been done?

It is a question that hangs heavily after two murders of two women, one a schoolgirl, one a grandmother.

Police say the suspect in the killing of 12-year-old Adriel Moxey is a known patient at Sandilands Rehabilitation Centre.

The Minister of Social Services, Myles Laroda, says it is unfair to say that his department did nothing to intervene to protect Adriel despite warning signs about the conditions she was growing up in – but concedes more could have been done.

In the case of 72-year-old Vernecha Butler, who was raped and killed in her home, police say they believe the suspect was under the influence of drugs when he struck.

Officers have retrieved surveillance footage showing the suspect roaming the area barefoot.

Then, officers say, he entered her home and attacked her.

Adriel had gone to school and never got home. Vernecha was in her home.

Neither was to blame for being attacked. Blame their attackers.

At the same time, we should recognise the problems that affect our society. One suspect with a mental illness. We have a problem with mental health in our country – and the availability of support for those suffering from mental illness.

Prime Minister Philip Davis has spoken to this very subject, saying we should not treat mental illness as a stigma, but rather recognise the need to address the problem.

When it comes to cases of suicide, he has said that “far too many times persons miss signs of depression” which may lead to suicide.

Suicide and murder are very differ- ent outcomes, of course, but the root problem of the inability to treat mental illness needs to be dealt with.

We see vagrants on our streets as a part of our daily lives. We recognise, all of us, even without medical expertise, that some are experiencing serious mental health issues.

Time and again, after a murder takes place in our country, of which there are far too many, we hear police officers calling for a better way to handle conflict resolution than pulling out a gun, or a knife, and ending a life.

Do we really feel these issues are being tackled?

On Saturday, a rally was held at Arawak Cay, at which Chief Superintendent Chrislyn Skippings called on parents to do more, to be aware of teaching our children a better way.

After a murder took place earlier this month, she called on people to “stop being hot headed”.

So much of the root of our problems lies within us.

But if we are not tackling these issues, if we are leaving people to fall through the system and go unsupported and unmedicated as they wrestle with mental health issues, there will be more victims.

None of this is to remove blame from the killers. They chose to sexually assault and kill their victims.

It is simply to say that had issues surrounding mental health been dealt with earlier, there might be more people alive in our country.

We all recognise the problems. Can we do something about them?