The question currently being asked is if someone must be killed before officials remove a sharp-edged piece of steel jutting from the ground in the Barrouallie children’s playground.
According to sources, at least five people have been critically hurt by the sharp steel, with two of the most severe incidents occurring last week.
11-year-old Simlet Pierre, a Form 1 student at the Barrouallie Secondary School, had the instep of his right foot ripped down to the bones on Friday night, while 9-year-old Dequari Fraser, a Grade 4 student at the Barrouallie Government School, had the area just above his left knee ripped on Sunday, November 13th.
Simlet stated in an interview that he attended a crusade near the playground and was instructed to contact someone at the playground. On his way back from calling the individual “steel hook me foot,” he uttered these words. He stated that he heard three other people were hurt as a result of the steel, one of them is his cousin.
When asked on Tuesday how he felt about being unable to attend school for an extended period of time, Simlet said, “sad.”
When asked what he believed should be done to improve the playground, he responded, “Move the steel.”
Sharon French stated in an interview on Tuesday that her nephew Simlet attended a crusade near the playground. At the conclusion of the crusade, the young lady he accompanied instructed him to contact a cousin who was at the playground. She stated that the playground lacked electrical lighting and that he injured his foot while crossing.
Simlet’s grandmother Anita Pierre, with whom he resides, reported that the doctor wanted him to be hospitalized for a few days, but he began to cry, stating that he could not stay in the hospital without her. She stated that the hospital staff sutured his foot, administered a tetanus injection, prescribed him medication, and allowed him to return home.
Pierre stated that her grandson was sent to the clinic for dressing on Monday, but as of last Wednesday, he was attending the outpatient clinic outside the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital in Kingstown.
In an interview on Tuesday afternoon, Dequari’s mother Janice Griffith stated, “someone was following him” when he fell to the ground and was cut by the metal. She reported being shown the projecting piece of steel on the ground.
Griffith stated that her son’s foot was severely swollen and he had to return him to the clinic on Monday for additional treatment.
Griffith stated that the playground is dangerous. She said that the slide (where the projecting piece of steel is) is broken and that there are broken metal bars on the equipment there.
When asked what she believed should be done with the children’s playground given its current condition, she stated that the facility should be “closed down” because much of the playground equipment has “broken down.”
The family are anxious that no official figure has visited them since the injuries occurred.
Simlet’s family members reported that a caretaker from the Town Board who was informed of the injuries and promised to visit the playground last weekend but never showed up as of Tuesday’s interview.
