Dear Editor,

I refer to your report [ please note: link provided by LOSP web site ] (8.12.2001) that a six-year-old boy was found shackled to a bed with a dog chain. What could a six-year-old child have done that is deserving of such punishment?

According to your report, an arrest was made on Thursday December 6,2001 but no charges were laid against the alleged man as recently as Saturday December 9,2001. I'm curious why. If the child was found chained, someone must have chained him. Where is the mother of this little boy?

I would like to commend the headmistress of the school for taking responsibility and calling the police. We need more community policing like him/her, to protect our children.

If the evidence is enough to charge this man charges should be laid against him for child abuse, child neglect and child endangerment.

What are the Welfare Department's plans in bringing about changes? Why not set up a committee to look at cases such as child abuse, spousal abuse, etc. This committee would then return with the findings and recommendations for changes.

As I've said before we cannot have changes if we do not send a strong message to the abusers that being cruel to any human being is not acceptable and would not be tolerated. In North America, people are being sent to jail for such acts against animals.