Child advocates urge stronger safeguards after killing of 10-year-old Shani Coke

Child rights advocates are pressing for stronger protection measures after the sexual assault and murder of 10-year-old Shani Coke, as a psychologist outlines warning signs often tied to people who sexually offend against children.

Lobby group Hear the Children's Cry has condemned the killing. Spokesperson Priscilla Dehaney, speaking on CVM's lead story Wednesday, said the mob violence that followed the girl's death must be handled carefully. Residents may believe they had no other choice, she said, but the person attacked and killed was never tried or found guilty in court.

Dehaney said media reports indicate several appeals were made to the police station in Warsop and nothing came of them. She voiced concern about the residents' actions while acknowledging that, in their minds, there may have seemed no alternative. At the same time, she stressed there is no evidence from what is being reported that suspect Delroy Coke was guilty, and that he was not given a chance to be tried or to be heard.

She called for more to be done to protect children, saying public education campaigns on child safety and prevention remain insufficient. Parents have a clear role, she said, and the church is especially important. During the summer, she added, communities must stay more vigilant and place children in programmes run by churches and community groups. Without that, she warned, youngsters are more likely to face danger, crime, and harm in the community or at home.

Counselling psychologist Dr Patrice Charles-King said several factors can drive people to commit such crimes, including mental health disability, personality disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, hearing voices, and chemical imbalances such as schizophrenia. She stressed that a mental health diagnosis alone does not mean someone will offend in this way. Some people, she said, also have sexual problems that show up through this kind of behaviour.

Dr Charles-King said those inclined to sexually abuse children often show serious red flags that should not be ignored: inappropriate behaviour, unwanted contact or touching, grooming, improper conversations, and stalking. Examples include an adult approaching a child in a shop with an unsuitable conversation, or making comments about the child's physical appearance after the child leaves — conduct she described as inappropriate and a clear warning sign.