_{Thea Ramirez, Minister of Human Development}

by Charles Gladden

BELIZE CITY, Wed. May 28, 2025

A girl from western Belize who was reported missing by her family last week, has returned home; but prior to her return she said in a video which was posted on social media that she was abused at home by her mother’s boyfriend.

The child, 14-year-old J. Vasquez, a Belizean of Benque Viejo Town, Cayo District, had last been seen by her relatives on Thursday, May 22, around 7:30 a.m., and, as portrayed in that  social media video, went alone across the border to Melchor, Guatemala.

Her disappearance had garnered media attention, and in that video that was seen by the public she said that she had run away from home. She claimed that approximately two years ago, her mother began a relationship with a man, and during that relationship, that man began to abuse Vasquez sexually.

Vasquez said that initially she told her mother about the abuse; however, she didn’t believe her. This led her to leave home to live in Belmopan for about a year. Upon returning home, Vasquez discovered that her mother was still in a relationship with the abuser, which prompted the teen girl to go alone across the border.

In the video, Vasquez had mentioned that she was employed, and requested that her mother stop looking for her. Before the video ended, Vasquez said that she would ultimately return home, but not yet; however, on Monday, May 26, it was reported that she had returned home.

Minister of Human Development, Hon. Thea Ramirez, told Amandala that Vasquez is currently at one of the Department of Human Services facilities due to the fact that her father is deceased and her mother is not able to provide for her.

“The child is in our care at one of our facilities, and the court has to go according to the law with the information they had. We are keeping her at the facility until we can put together all the new information and take it back to court,” she said.