President of the Bahamas Christian Council Bishop Delton Fernander condemns the recent spree of violent crimes in the country, which involves the death of an eight-month-old baby.

In a statement yesterday, Bishop Fernander listed the armed robbery of a church, the robbery of the family of Archbishop Laish Boyd and the baby’s murder as unconscionable acts.

He said the spree of violent crimes is beyond the political, religious, or racial divides.

“The raging levels of crime, the increasing numbers of murder, our embattled economy, the weakness of our educational system, social ills and the increasing and deepening levels of emotional pain must be reversed!” Bishop Fernander said.

The Bahamas Christian Council president said he condemns these acts of violence and calls on the perpetrators to cease and think before ruining their lives and the lives of others.

“The government along with civil society, the church and the citizens of this nation must resolve to ensure that those who would commit such acts and try to hold our nation hostage with fear understand that we have no tolerance for crime, period,” he added.

Bishop Fernander said as a nation, Bahamians must develop short and long-term measures to bring crime levels down and to fully restore law and order as he believes that as a nation, Bahamians can successfully tackle the crime issue.

He noted that the country cannot afford to lose more of its citizens, especially young men, to death, criminality or prison and all hands must be on deck to further the positive development of The Bahamas.

“Barriers of denomination, political persuasion and the growth of selfishness that is undermining the strength of the otherwise generous business and professional communities can only be stomped out by love, unity, the restoration of our moral values and a vision and comprehensive plan to economically empower the people of The Bahamas,” he said.

The Ministry of Social Services and Urban Development also released a statement yesterday extending condolences to the family that was affected in the shooting incident that left the eight-month-old boy dead and parents seriously injured.

The statement said the act underscores the need for the entire nation to partner with the Ministry of Social Services to ensure that children receive the care and protection that they deserve.

The ministry explained that the situation is being assessed through the Department of Social Services Child Protection Unit as the care and protection of children under the Child Protection Act is a part of its overall responsibility.

The Department of Social Services expressed that the department have begun providing assistance to the family affected in the shooting incident through counseling and emotional support.

“Although the Department of Social Services traditionally sets aside the month of April to focus the nation’s attention on matters related to child protection, we have begun a new initiative to assertively coordinate our efforts with our civil and social partners to eradicate the abuse and neglect of children year round,” the statement read.