T&T..5,500 child victims in 6 years..Why?

'The death of a child is rarely an isolated event. It is usually the final outcome of multiple failures-family breakdown, unresolved conflict, poor emotional regulation, exposure to violence, weak social support systems, and in some cases the normalisation of aggression as a means of resolving disputes.'THE death of 12-year-old Mercedez Layne has renewed concerns about the risks facing children in Trinidad and Tobago, with criminologists warning that youth victimisation extends far beyond gang violence and reflects broader social failures.

Crime prevention, he added, must begin long before individuals become involved in criminal activity.'It begins in homes, schools, peer groups, and communities. If we fail to address those underlying social conditions, we may reduce one form of violence while another continues to emerge.'Criminologist Dr Randy Seepersad said recent child deaths represent only a fraction of a much wider problem.'Incidents of children's deaths certainly reach the public domain via the media, but the situation is far worse than the public realises,' he said.

Seepersad also pointed to what he described as a geographic concentration of child gun deaths.He noted that over the past decade, 73 children, including 12 girls, have been killed by gun violence in Trinidad and Tobago.Laventille recorded the highest number of child gun fatalities, with 12, followed by Arima with nine. Eight children were killed in communities between Chaguanas and Rio Claro.Fatal shootings involving children have also been recorded in Diego Martin, Port of Spain, Belmont, Morvant, Tunapuna, D'Abadie, Maloney, La Horquetta, Arouca, Malabar, Valencia, Wallerfield and Sangre Grande. Tobago recorded two child gun deaths during the period.Seepersad said the trend points to deeper social and psychological problems within the country.

'It speaks to some much deeper psychosocial and psychological issues in the case of Trinidad and Tobago, where the life of a child doesn't really matter,' he said.

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Seepersad cited data from the Child Protection and Adoption Agency (CAPA), which recorded 5,498 child victims of criminal offences between 2020 and 2025.

The figures showed :

886 child victims in 2020,

970 in 2021,

842 in 2022,

999 in 2023,

822 in 2024

979 in 2025.

Survey data collected from nationally representative samples, as well as studies involving children living in institutions such as St Jude's and the Youth Training and Rehabilitation Centre (YTRC), indicated that many children were exposed to a range of harmful experiences.

'So an average of 916 per year during this period. So the situation is deeply troubling and needs immediate addressing,' he said.

According to Seepersad, official statistics capture only part of the problem.

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Between 2024 and mid-2026, hundreds of children died in Trinidad and Tobago, encompassing several hundred infant/under-five mortalities due to health complications and dozens of fatalities from violent crime.

Official child mortality and crime data are distributed across several government agencies and international organizations:

Infant and Under-Five Mortality: Public health data indicates an infant mortality rate of roughly 13 to 19 deaths per 1,000 live births, which translates to over 200 infant deaths annually. Many of these under-five fatalities stem from preventable infectious diseases and congenital anomalies.

Criminal Victimization: According to data from the Child Protection and Adoption Agency (CAPA), an alarming average of roughly 900 children per year are victims of criminal offenses across the twin islands.

Homicides: Gun violence and gang warfare have claimed the lives of dozens of minors in recent years. Investigations reveal that at least 73 children lost their lives to gun violence over the last decade, with these fatal shootings continuing into 2026.

UNICEF Trinidad and Tobago

Ministry of Health Trinidad and Tobago

The Children's Authority of Trinidad and Tobago