Alleged Rape by Union Leader Sparks Outcry in Belize

On Tuesday, we reported on the alleged rape of a woman by a prominent union leader. The victim claims she was sexually assaulted by her colleague in April 2019. After years of suffering in silence, she finally found the courage to come forward. She first filed an official complaint with the Belize Police Department, but when they failed to act promptly, she turned to the media and shared her story for the first time, six years later. Tonight, we will continue our coverage of this incident.

 

Voice of: Alleged Rape Victim

“I was so frightened and shocked. The next day I just stayed in my room because I was to work again late, but I just stayed in my room that whole day, well, at least ‘til time fi mi gaan da work because I was so frightened. I think I stayed in my room and then got ready for work and my mom wanted to know how I wasn’t coming out of my room that morning, but I was just there crying. I didn’t want her to know because my mom was like, she was already getting down, soh I neva want nothing to stress her. I never told her about  this and I was going to go to my grave with this secret, but the reason I ended up doing the police report, I did my official police report on February tenth, because I went to the Queen Street Police Station on, I think, February sixth, but it didn’t go smoothly because I was to do the report at the Ladyville Police Station being that da Ladyville side ih happen. So the officers contacted me and did the report with me, picked me up on February tenth and we did the report. Yoh know what’s the problem, some people can’t take rejection. Some people can’t take rejection.  That da weh eat he out, that da weh bun he because he know weh he do and he wanted wahn relationship afta dat and I would not give in to him and he thought [that] harassing me in my workplace, when dehn put ahn eena di same area weh I di work, he thought harassing me would force me to give in to him, it would get me weak and force me to give in to him and have something with him and all weh ih do da give me di courage fi get up and gaan da di police fi report ahn.”

 

Isani Cayetano

“So why hasn’t he been arrested and charged and brought before the court?”

 

Alleged Rape Victim

“I don’t know. Di police dehn tek down my report. From weh I understand, he was detained. From weh I understand, the information was sent up to the DPP Office and they still haven’t gotten a response from the DPP.  This was sent from February.”