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Education Min Says Don't Judge Those Who Didn't Stop
posted (February 5, 2025)
And throughout the journey, outside of the view of cameras, a few people did try to help little Pablo. Those persons reported that he was simply too fast, or that he scratched and bit his way out of their grip.

Today the Minister of Education said that even those who didn't stop shouldn't be judged. He explained that most people are dealing with their own issues and they shouldn't be blamed for not noticing a child in distress. He added that those who did try to help are being interviewed and their statements will be part of the police's report.

Francis Fonseca, Minister of Education
"Again, you know, I've heard many people, obviously it's heart wrenching just to see little Pablo running and, you know, so speedily up and down. You know, and this mother this morning to me, you know, that's Pablo, you know, he likes to run. He's very hyperactive. And, you know, they could see that he was confused about where he was when they saw the videos. So it's obviously heart wrenching. You know, I've heard people, you know, say, oh, you know, where is our humanity, where is or community spirit. And again, I want to urge people, let's not be judgmental, right. Question is, what would I do? What would I do? We never know in circumstances like that. You never quite know what your response will be. It depends what's happening in your life, what you're doing at that time. People have their own problems, they are rushing to reach somewhere. They're going they're focused on what they're doing and obviously it would have been fantastic, we would have loved for somebody to intervene and pick up and hold little Pablo and bring him back safely to school. That would have been wonderful and ideal. But I don't want us to judge people. But I think it's an opportunity, as I think others have said, it's an opportunity for us as a society. As a community, you know, to really remember the old adage, you know, from the Bible, from others have said, you know, we are our brothers and sisters' keeper. And, you know, as society has evolved and changed, we've obviously lost some of that. Everybody is, you know, focused on their lives and getting from point A to point B, and we're all, you know, in a hurry. And sometimes we forget to look around and see what's happening with our brothers and sisters around us and what they might be going through. So, you know, again, it would have been fantastic if somebody could have picked him up and looked out for him. And again, there are people again, the police are pursuing some of these leads. There are people who said that they tried, 1 or 2 have said that they actually held him, but then he got away from them. So we've heard a lot of different things. So it's not like people didn't try or, you know. But that will form a part of the, the report."

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