ST. GEORGE’S, Grenada, Oct 5, CMC – Social Development Minister, Delma Thomas, Friday expressed her disgust at a recent video which showed a mentally challenged young woman being sexually exploited.

She said that the police are investigating the origin of the video with a view to bringing criminal charges.

“The video has been transmitted to thousands of people. On the video what appears to be the voice of two men taking pleasure in conducting the filming as well as making inappropriate demeaning remarks,” Thomas told Parliament.

She told legislators that the young woman was identified by the police and taken to the relevant institution for treatment.

Thomas said that the unidentified woman has a long history of mental illness and called on society to be more sensitive to people with mental illness.

“What was seen on the tape was not a girl, a woman or sister deserving of ridicule but a fellow human deserving of our help and intervention. At a time when she was most vulnerable we as a society failed her.

“The young men who took the energy and the effort to film her so that she could be the object of ridicule, should have used the same energy to reach out to help her,” said Thomas.

“To the scores of people who have distributed the video and who have taken pleasure in extending the scope of the video should think deep within themselves,” she said, insisting that mentally ill people are not crazy.

“They are sick like other people who have an ailment and we have to do a better job at identifying people with mental illness and not dismissing that behaviour for what it’s not.”

Thomas said mental illness comes in many forms and that science has provided for the different forms to be “manageable and treatable.

“The time as comes to discuss and debate whether our system is adequately set up to identify people with mental disorder and if enough resources are being put in place once they are identified. We can no longer afford to dismiss people with such challenges,” Thomas said.