Brawl at Mas Camp Leaves Minor Knocked Out  

Since the beginning of the week, we have been covering this year’s Carnival Mas Camp every night ahead of the annual road march on Saturday.  The events were lively, festive and without incident.  That was until last night when a brawl between a trio of females left a fifteen-year-old minor unconscious.  It is not clear what triggered the ruckus, but it ended when two women stomped out a minor and left her on the street unconscious.  It’s a video that has gone viral on social media and prompted the Commissioner of Police to weigh in.  Here’s News Five’s Isani Cayetano.

 

Isani Cayetano, Reporting

A fifteen-year-old student is the victim of a vicious beatdown administered by a pair of women on Wednesday night, here in Belize City.  Carly Smith attended the Belizean Jewels Mas Camp and was observing the revelers as they made merry to Soca music and dance.  It was at that time that she was approached by someone with whom she had a previous altercation.  According to her sister, the situation escalated rather quickly.

 

Shala Smith, Sister

“Di young lady and my sista had problems already and my sista, ih wahn go out just like everybody else.  Ih gaan da di carnival practice and watch di carnival practice, di young lady dehn mussi sih ahn out soh and feel like dis da mih dehn opportunity fi do weh dehn haffi do with me lee sista.  From weh I understand, my lee sista mi deh with my sister-in-law and my sister-in-law tell my sista mek ih go.  She tell ahn ih noh wahn run from nobody.”

 

Shala Smith tells News Five that her sister-in-law attempted to restrain her sibling, but that was when the minor was attacked by the two women.  The video shows Carly being pummeled by her attackers.

 

Shala Smith

“When dehn pull ahn back, Ms. Lady, dehn surround ahn.  Dehn surround ahn and afta dat unu sih weh happen eena di video.”

 

Isani Cayetano

“What are the extent of the injuries that your sister suffered as a result of this beatdown?”

 

Shala Smith

“Only thing right now though, ih head really di pain ah bad.  Ih seh ih head really really pain ah.  From last night when I cohn cohn sih ahn, my sista di complain about pain.  This morning, ah gaan da ih school, same thing di lady seh, go deal with ahn because Carly seh that she feel dizzy.  From we deh da station, all my sista complain and da just wahn lay down, ih head di hurt ahn, ih head di hurt ahn.  Da just mussi di stomping ah weh dehn stomp ahn, like weh yoh sih, ih pass out eena dat, and ih have bruise right pan di side ah face yah soh.”

 

What’s appalling is the fact that no one attempted to part the fight.  Instead, bystanders kept egging them on, while others simply recorded the incident on their phones.  The video has gone viral, prompting Commissioner of Police Chester Williams to issue a statement on what took place.  In a social media post, the ComPol said, quote, it’s sad to see how lawless some in our society have become.  When the women are fighting, the man stand there watching, videoing and encouraging them to keep fighting until it reaches the stage where the girl could have been killed.  Where is their sense of empathy? Then we wonder why some of our children today are so violent.  Nonetheless, we must send a strong message, those involved in the fight will be charged and those standing guard videoing and encouraging will be charged for incitement, end quote.

 

Shala Smith

“I wah defend my lee sista.  I noh wahn seh Carly perfect because yes, Carly got ih lotta lee things dehn weh ih do out ya.  Maybe if da mi wahn one ahn one with di lee gial, yes.  But then two big, grown woman. Unu da two big grown woman.  Soh now I could put myself with unu and I could tell unu, babes, ih noh wahn done ya.  I wahn mek my sista press charges pan unu. Then di ma, you da wahn ma.  You da wahn ma, you wahn jump eena wah fight fi knock wahn fight fi knock wahn fifteen-year-old.  Dat da weh bun me more, I di tell you, sir, dehn people dehn don’t know.”

 

Isani Cayetano for News Five.