CAYE CAULKER—A Caye Caulker boat captain was arrested and charged for allegedly raping a tourist on his boat. Jaime Rosado appeared in the Belize City Magistrate’s Court yesterday where he was released on bail of $1,000 and ordered to return to court on October 27. He was represented by attorney Michael Peyreffette, who was able to secure the bail for him.
The alleged rape occurred at about 1:30 Saturday morning in Rosado’s boat in San Pedro, while it was moored in the docks.
The woman, a British national, 27, told Caye Caulker police that on Friday night, she and six others traveled from Caye Caulker to San Pedro in the boat, of which Rosado was the captain, to sight-see in that town, but she did not go onshore and stayed behind in the boat, because she was not feeling well after drinking alcoholic beverages.
Rosado also stayed behind, while the woman’s five friends (a male friend stayed behind) went to enjoy the night life in San Pedro. The woman alleged that while in the boat, Rosado approached and tried to sexually assault her. She struggled with him, but he overpowered her and raped her.
As a result, she told police, she suffered multiple scratches and bruises all over her body, and also experienced pain in her lower abdomen.
When they all returned to Caye Caulker later that morning, the woman went to police and made a formal report. Police said that statements were recorded and the boat was processed and photographed.
That same Saturday, the woman was brought to Belize City, to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital, accompanied by a woman police officer from Caye Caulker, for a medical examination. At the conclusion of the examination, the doctor certified that the tourist had been subject to a sexual act.
On Saturday, boat captain Jaime Rosado, tour guide of Travelers Palm Street, Caye Caulker, was detained. On Sunday, Rosado was formally arrested and charged for the crime of rape.
On Monday Rosado was escorted to the Belize City Magistrate’s Court, where he was arraigned for rape.
The woman, on vacation from the United Kingdom, told police that shortly after the others left, her friend, the male tourist, went unconscious due to alcohol consumption, or drugs, and that was when Rosado overpowered her and raped her.
The woman told police that the captain had taken them on tours throughout the day on Friday, and thereafter, they went to a private island where they had a party and they consumed alcoholic beverages.
Rosado’s attorney, House Speaker Michael Peyrefitte, told Amandala last night, Wednesday, that the story was incredible because the woman was much bigger than his client, and his client did not suffer any scratches to indicate that there was a struggle between them. He strongly believes that there was no rape, he told our newspaper.