by Kristen Ku
BELMOPAN, Mon. Jan. 8, 2024
Mervin Budram, formerly a prominent youth leader and worship leader with Jubilee Ministries in Belmopan, received disclosure in court today, Monday, January 8, as part of a sexual assault case against him that has been ongoing for almost five months.
Budram stands accused of using his influential position to gain access to female minors, whom he sexually assaulted. The acts of sexual assault that he is accused of committing span about a decade – from 2004 to 2014.
The exposure of Budram’s alleged misconduct started in August 2023 when Rebecca Stirm Lennan, the daughter of Budram’s pastor at Jubilee Ministries, publicly accused Budram of assaulting her 19 years prior, when she was just 11 years old.
Lennan’s disclosure on social media sparked a wave of similar allegations by numerous other women who accused Budram of assault when they were minors. This prompted an investigation that led to Budram’s arraignment on November 6, 2023, for 13 counts of aggravated assault of an indecent nature.
Despite the severity of the charges, Budram maintained his innocence, pleading not guilty and securing release on a $6,000 bail with two sureties of the same amount.
Today Budram was represented by attorney Arthur Saldivar, who spoke with reporters outside of the courtroom. “The prosecution was able to produce disclosure, which we now have, and a trial date has been set,” he explained.
Despite his concerns about the absence of a magistrate in Belmopan, which complicates the legal process, Saldivar stressed his client’s innocence and the need for the allegations to be thoroughly examined in court.
“It could be 13 [counts of assault], it could be 100. If there is no truth to it, there is no issue. My client maintains his innocence, and we look forward to having these matters ventilated in court to clear up whatever misconceptions may exist. It is not my place to invalidate or seek to invalidate how any person may feel; but the court is not a court of feelings, it’s a court of law,” he said.
Saldivar, while commenting on how it was possible for 13 counts of assault to be levied against his client based on what is said to be a single police report, suggested that initial sensationalism often overshadows the judicial process.
He said that he therefore plans to scrutinize the disclosure closely, so that he can address any unsubstantiated charges.
Saldivar went on to say that the public scrutiny has taken a toll on Budram and his family.
“It’s been an ordeal for them. His business has suffered. But when it comes to certain accusations being levied … it carries with it a stigma that mars a family. And in this particular instance, you’re talking about a man who’s married with children. He has not had any of these kinds of accusations brought against him before. But like anybody else, anybody can be accused. That doesn’t mean a person does anything,” he said.
Saldivar also lamented the presumption of guilt that often accompanies such accusations, particularly against figures in the church.
A trial date has been set for March 18, and Saldivar confirmed that the accusers would be required to testify in court, where their statements would be subject to cross-examination.
This stage, he believes, will be crucial in determining the validity of the accusations.