Kenneth David, 15, a fourth form pupil of Brickdam Secondary School, in Georgetown was hospitalised with injuries after being attacked by a vagrant of unsound mind yesterday.
The attack took place while the boy was on his way to school. A teacher, who did not want to be named, said she learnt that the lad was walking in the vicinity of Public Buildings when he was suddenly pounced upon by the man, who dealt him two lashes with a piece of wood.
She added that, following the incident which was witnessed by David’s brother, a telephone call was made to their parents, who turned up at the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH) where their son, injured in his head and on one hand, was being treated.
At the scene, the mentally ill man was rescued by police after passersby began raining blows on him.
He, too, was taken to the GPH for medical attention and was placed under police guard.
Reports said that the schoolboy might have received life-threatening injuries if persons who witnessed the unprovoked assault did not go to his aid.
With the amount of people of unsound minds roaming the streets, this was something waiting to happen and unfortunately the victim was a child. What is fortunate is that he is alive because the assault could have led to death.
This is most worrisome and should open our eyes to this problem which has been here with us for a long time, but no tangible efforts have been made to deal with it. It is therefore hoped that we will not wait for another similar incident or one more serious to happen before this matter is addressed.
According to the Ministry of Human Services and Social security, while persons make use of the night shelter, they are not legally confined there, and most choose to leave and dwell on the streets. This raises several serious questions. While these persons cannot be legally confined at the Night Shelter, does the matter simply end there and is it legal for them to be roaming the streets, threatening the safety of other people? Since it was known that persons of unsound minds cannot be legally confined to the Night Shelter, was anything done about it and if not why not?
Wouldn’t it have been wise to enact legislation to make it legal to have these persons confined to the Night Shelter?
Being reactive rather than proactive has become a characteristic feature of many of our administrators in this country and consequently many problems which should have been nipped in the bud have been allowed to escalate and grow into  monsters. This problem of persons of unsound minds roaming our streets has certainly been one such problem.
However, it is encouraging that the Government of Guyana is currently in the process of establishing a modern facility to accommodate the homeless at Goedverwagting, East Coast Demerara. But the question that will still arise is what happens during the period that this facility is being constructed? Would these persons remain on the streets posing a threat to the safety of other people? And would legislation be implemented to make it legal to have these persons confined to the new facility?
Apart from the threat to safety of others persons of unsound minds pose, they are also a disincentive to our budding tourism industry because tourists would not be encouraged to visit our country if they would be bombarded by such persons.
Therefore, dealing with this matter in a comprehensive and decisive manner is in our entire national interest.