Photo: Hon. Dolores Balderamos Garcia

by Kristen Ku

BELIZE CITY, Fri. Jan. 19, 2024

The Ministry of Human Development, Families, and Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs has issued a statement addressing the allegations of rape made by two women against a well-known UDP attorney in Belize City.

The incident reportedly occurred on Thursday, January 11, with the police report being filed on January 13. According to the Commissioner of Police, Chester Williams, the accused attorney, upon being contacted by the police, voluntarily went to the police station for an interview. On the following Monday, when the news broke, the attorney turned himself in to police with his attorney; however, he was not detained, as the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) had not directed that charges be levied. Following these developments, the United Democratic Party (UDP) disclosed via a press release that the accused was a former UDP candidate and condemned any acts of violence against women. It called for a thorough investigation by the DPP, Cheryl Lynn Vidal.

According to the information provided by the Police Commissioner, one of the alleged victims, who is reportedly a member of a local law enforcement agency, said that the incident took place at the attorney’s house in Belize City. She said that she and a friend met the attorney at a nightclub, and he reportedly offered to drive them home, then invited them for a final drink at his place.

According to her statement, she lost consciousness after drinking tequila and later found herself naked in bed with the attorney. The second woman alleged that she was raped by the attorney while unconscious.

A woman who was leading a training exercise in which the alleged victims were participants, told News 5 that when they turned up for their scheduled session on Saturday, one of the women even passed out on the floor and had to be taken home. According to the instructor, one of the accusers shared that she did not know what had happened to the other woman, and that she herself could only recall what happened to her up to the moment she was taken advantage of.

In its press release, the Human Development Ministry expressed deep concern over the allegations, saying, “As the ministry responsible for advocacy for, and the promotion of women’s rights and gender equality, we will be carefully following developments in this matter. We are disheartened by these serious allegations, and we call on all relevant authorities to spare no effort in investigating thoroughly and seeking that justice be done.”

It also urged everyone, not just women, to exercise caution while consuming alcohol, and to be vigilant in order to quickly discern any indications of potential criminal behavior. “There are persons who, for their nefarious purposes, will drug individuals so as to incapacitate them. Let us take all steps necessary to protect all persons, and especially minors, from such criminal behavior,” stated the release.

The Ministry also made reference to “a certain social media platform/outlet” which posted an article seeking to discredit the complainants. The Ministry declared, “If this is so, we strongly condemn such actions. This matter must NOT be tried in the court of public opinion, and we discourage in the strongest terms any victim blaming or speculation.” That news blog is Hot Off the Press (HOTP), linked to attorney Orson Elrington.

An article that was posted on that page makes reference to eyewitness accounts of the purported interaction between the attorney and the two women, but only at the establishment where the initial encounter had taken place. People who commented on the post pointed out that no reference was made to what transpired afterwards. A second article even featured a 1-minute-30-second video, of poor quality, which shows the two women dancing inside the nightclub. The title of that article was: “Contradictions unveiled: Allegations of Rape Against Attorney Crumble as Video and Witnesses Expose Fabricated Claims.” Finally, in a third post, the page targets the Ministry of Human Development, saying that its credibility is being questioned, given that it previously overlooked similar complaints against PUP officials in power.

In an interview, Minister Dolores Balderamos Garcia declined to say much more against the questionable and unethical slant of the HOTP articles, but did say she would continue to reach out to the Belize Broadcasting Authority regarding ethics in reporting. She reiterated the Ministry’s commitment to providing support and counseling to the victims, stating, “I am assuring you that we have already reached out, and that we will provide the highest level and the most professional counseling that is called for in this situation.”

Asked about the level of detail that the Commissioner of Police himself shared on the incident, the Minister did say she believes too much was said, adding, “and I believe that that was wrong.”

Up until today, Friday, the attorney had not been charged. Reports are that additional evidence was submitted for the review of the Office of the DPP.