2,000 Reports of Domestic Violence in 2021

The Special Envoy for Families and Children, Rossana Briceño, today called for the Leader of the Opposition Patrick Faber to resign. The release from the Special Envoy says the issuing of a warrant for his arrest and then the complainant withdrawing the charges is (quote) “a very common occurrence in the cycle of abuse. Our women need our support, not criticism, as they navigate the terrible scourge of abuse and violence. It is important that victims know they are not alone,’ (unquote). In terms of data, the Special Envoy says domestic violence is mostly perpetrated by current or former intimate partners. In 2021, Belize recorded over two thousand cases, almost thirty percent of which are still open.  While men can be victims of abuse, seventy-eight percent of those making the complaint are women, and eleven women were killed as a result of domestic abuse. The Special Envoy calls for a multi-sectoral approach to reach households, communities, institutes of education, businesses, and leaders to demand a zero-tolerance for violence against our women and families.