by Linda Straker
Education Minister Anthony Boatswain has confirmed that the Ministry will be launching an investigation into the circulation of a video that shows 2 students of a secondary school engaging in sexual acts.
“We are extremely concerned. We are dealing with school children and they need to know that they are governed by the Education Act. It seems as though that there are 2 levels of investigations that have to be done: One, it’s a criminal act by violating the Electronic Crimes Act and transmitting certain images electronically over the internet. Then we will have a police investigation,” Boatswain said in an interview, following the sitting of Friday’s parliament.
“From the Ministry’s point of view, we have to determine what transpired in terms of children not in compliance with the rules and regulation of the school,” he said, while confirming that in addition to investigating, the Ministry has already dispatch additional counsellors to the school.
The video of the students, which clearly shows the female in her school uniform with tie, has been circulating on Facebook and other social media platforms, despite several requests to have it removed as a nudity and sex act infringement.
The Education Act provides for suspension actions to be taken on students who are found to be violating education regulations, but an investigation must be conducted before a penalty is imposed on the students.
Grenada’s Electronic Crimes Act makes it illegal for anyone to engage in child pornography. “A person shall not knowingly and without lawful justification or excuse publish or transmit or cause to be published or transmitted material in an electronic form which depicts a child engaged in sexually explicit act or conduct; create text or digital images, collect, seek, browse, download, advertise, promote, exchange or distribute material in an electronic form depicting a child in obscene or indecent or sexually explicit manner.”
The legislation also says that no one shall cultivate, entice or induce children to an online relationship with another child or an adult for a sexually explicit act or in a manner that may offend a reasonable adult on the electronic system; facilitate the abuse of a child online; record or own in an electronic form material which depicts the abuse of a child engaged in a sexually explicit act; procure and/ or obtain child pornography through a computer system; or obtain access through information and communication technologies, to child pornography.
A person who contravenes the law commits an offence and is liable on conviction on indictment to a fine not exceeding $200,000 or to a term of imprisonment not exceeding 5 years or to both, and in the event of second or subsequent conviction to a fine not exceeding $300,000 or to a term of imprisonment not exceeding 20 years or to both.
