Mother Begs for Son’s Release from S.O.E. Detainment

Another family member has come forward in protest of the state of emergency, which was brought into force on Tuesday. Since then, the police have been making the rounds in Belize City to arrest individuals believed to be involved in gang activity, in an attempt to control the recent spike in violent crimes.  Tonight, Helen Samuels voices her concern for twenty-year-old son Ralston McDonald and her frustration with the police department. She claims that her son is being unjustly detained and is pleading for his release.

 

Helen Samuels, Mother of Detained

“When I reach da Raccoon Street Police Station, ney tell me ney ker them up. Well, an officer come out and talk to me and tell me go check Queen Street Police Station. When I reach da Queen Street Police Station, they no got ah deh. They ker ah up da jail. So, di I ask why they ker ah up da jail when da P.I.V. investigation ney pick ah up fah. Forty-eight DA forty-eight. Ih supposed to mih come out four o’clock Wednesday evening. They ker my son da jail. My son da no criminal. Ralston da no criminal. Ralston just started life. Ralson just turned twenty. Why unu wa paint my pikni as a criminal fah? Because we live in Gungulung. Not everybody live da Gungulung da wa criminal. I need this fi stop because my son da no criminal. You understand me? I need this to stop. I want my son got wa free place fi walk. Unu cya di  come and plant my son as a criminal, because my son is not a criminal. My son is an easy-going boy. You understand me? I need it to stop. Whole Easter holiday, they gunned down my son like my son murder. Please make ney get my son outta that place, because my son no belong there. That da fi criminal. If my son mi got a bad record, then I coulda mi understand it, even if I’m there. But my son got  wa good record, so I need fi deh yah fi fight fi my son. What about the rest of the children deh, weh ney ma dead? Because da no only my son. They next two bwai weh gone up, ney ma dead. So who ney got fi fight fi fa? Nobody noh deh fi fight fi ney.You understand me? That’s why I deh yah. My eyes still open. That’s why I deh yah fi fight for my son.”