By MALCOLM STRACHAN

MY church was full yesterday of people celebrating fathers.

There were gifts for the dads who were present, there were hymns such as Faith of our Fathers and with other such references, and the pastor talked of the importance of fathers not just in the home, but in the community.

For those of you who remember my Insight article from this time last year, there were similar things said then.

Father’s Day has become a tradition that perhaps we value more in The Bahamas than elsewhere in a society where there are too many families without a father figure present.

The scale of the distress of our society is huge. So huge in fact that just last week the Minister of Social Services, Myles Laroda, got up in the House of Assembly and talked openly about a rise in cases of mothers prostituting their daughters – some as young as 14.

How appalling is that? Not just a case. A single case. A shocking, outrageous case. But a rise in cases. As in this is something that has been happening before and is getting worse.

Mothers using their daughters to make money through transactional sex. Using their own children as bartering tools, trading sex for money.

And note the word I use is appalling, not that it is shocking. Because we know that there is an undercurrent in our society on the edge of poverty where children are victimised and parents turn a blind eye, where children are forced to make money that is taken off them by parents, where children do not have the opportunity to be just that, children, with the chance to learn and grow and discover their own horizons.

Look at the number of court cases we see where children, often underage, are victims of sexual assaults and rapes.

Then look again at the courts and see the number of cases where those accused of all kinds of crimes, including murders, are charged, with their names withheld because they are too young to be identified. Old enough to be killers, too young to be named.

There is often a link traced between adult criminals and childhood abuse – and is there really any surprise that those who have had to fight to survive even within their own family would face greater challenges than others in dealing with society at large?

Mr Laroda talked in the House of how: “Lives are being destroyed before they begin to live them. While the age of consent is 16, using a minor for the sexual gratification of an adult constitutes prostitution and rape, which are criminal offences and should be reported to the police.”

There were holes in his presentation. There was no evidence provided – so we do not know how big a problem this is, or indeed how he knows that the number of cases are on the rise.

Further to that, there was no real plan put forward for how to deal with it, other than asking people to contact the police or the ministry.

The problem was laid on the table for all to see, only for everyone to stand around and tut and say how terrible it is without any solution being proposed.

Mr Laroda did tip a nod towards the role of fathers, saying: “Usually, lack of child support and lack of child involvement, go hand-in-hand. This is another contributing factor to juvenile delinquency. Fathers, you play a key role in your child’s development. Therefore, I implore you to take your responsibilities seriously.”

He also did not provide any update on what is going on with the Protection Against Violence Bill. That is the watered-down version of the Gender Violence Bill – but even after watering it down, there is still no sign over its implementation. It’s been a year. No commission yet to support victims, not much in the way of updates.

Mr Laroda also pointed out the shortage of shelter for victims of violence, while conspicuously not talking about the shelter the government was supposed to have opened by now. There was the Domestic Violence Unit, with some temporary shelter space. Is that it?

It is hard to give too much credence to the government’s shock and horror at a situation that it resolutely fails to do anything about.

Mr Laroda did call on corporate Bahamas and faith organisations to help out with such shelters – those organisations are probably entitled to point at the taxes they pay and ask why the government has not done what it promised in that regard before it comes and shakes the begging bowl their way again.

But at the start, I did say the word community – and that is important.

As a community, we should indeed act, to create safe spaces where we can for those who need them.

As a community, we should watch out for those who are falling between the cracks, for those who are made victims, especially our children, who deserve a chance at life without being subject to violence, sexual abuse and fear.

As a community, we see all too often people living in poverty and do not do enough to find ways to elevate them. We look to our own pockets too often rather than seeing what the content of those pockets can do to help others.

And as a community, we rely too often on government to do what we can do ourselves.

Last year, I wrote: “Father’s Day is important – if we choose to make it so. It is a celebration of those who are doing the right thing, and a reminder of what we still need to do.

“But first of all, we do have to look at ourselves. At who we are. At what we do. At what we can do better.

“We cannot castigate a single mother while absolving a cheating father. We cannot dismiss a broken family, rather we should reach out to try to help.

“There are many who need that help. That help can be financial, certainly, but it can start by just being supportive.”

Those words, I think, are still true. Our progress towards realising them is another matter.

If we are to truly honour our commitment as fathers, we must stand up and protect our nation’s children. That we should, and must, do.