Photo: Director of Public Prosecution, Cheryl-Lyn Vidal
by Kristen Ku
BELIZE CITY, Wed. Jan. 24, 2024
It has been two weeks since allegations surfaced of the rape of two women by a prominent attorney affiliated with the United Democratic Party (UDP), yet charges have so far not been brought against the accused individual.
The case was forwarded to the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Cheryl-Lyn Vidal, but the apparent delay in the issuance of a directive from her office for charges to be brought against the attorney has sparked speculations about the reason for the seeming hesitation—with some members of the public suggesting that the attorney’s connections to the judiciary or even his status as a lawyer were influencing the process.
On Tuesday of this week, however, the Commissioner of Police, Chester Williams, commented on the ongoing investigation. “The file is still with the Director of Public Prosecution. She had requested the police to do some further work. That work is being done, and once those are completed, they will be sent back to her; and hopefully, we get a final determination from the DPP in respect to that matter,” he stated.
“I know that the police had reported that they had sent the statement to the DPP. I think at the time what they did not say was that when those statements were sent, it was made very clear that other evidence was forthcoming. We have been receiving additional evidence. Just today, I received additional evidence. So, I cannot make a decision until I have everything before me. It is not the ordinary case, where it would have been possible just on the statements that were provided on the onset to make a determination,” DPP Vidal subsequently explained in an interview.
The attorney was accused by two women of raping them while they were unconscious on January 11, and a formal police complaint was filed two days after the alleged incident.
The attorney had voluntarily gone to the police station to be interviewed after the accusations were made, and shortly after that, the UDP issued a statement in which it acknowledged the accused individual’s position in the party and condemned any form of violence against women, while pleading for a fair investigation.
One of the alleged victims, a Belize Coast Guard member, recounted that the incident took place at the attorney’s home in Belize City. She claimed that, after meeting him at the Thirsty Thursday nightclub and accepting a ride home, she lost consciousness after having a drink at the home and subsequently found herself naked in bed with the attorney. The second woman similarly alleged being raped while unconscious.
Meanwhile, a video which was posted on the Hot Off The Press (HOTP) news blog and which exposed the women’s faces (purportedly the two who said they were raped) while they were in the nightclub that night, along with an article on the web page that spoke in a disparaging way about the women, have added to the controversy — particularly due to the fact that the news blog is linked to attorney Orson Elrington and known for its pro-UDP stance.
Although the appearance of these media pieces might not directly impact the case, it has forged a negative perception of the accused. The video appears to be an attempt to salvage the accused attorney’s name while victim-shaming the women.
Hon. Moses “Shyne” Barrow, the Leader of the Opposition, expressed his views on the matter, particularly the content published by HOTP.
“I don’t believe in re-victimizing anyone. We have to have a balance as to the freedom of the press, the freedom of this media entity, and whether it is a certified media entity. If you feel it is victim-shaming, I could see how you arrived at that position. I would not have wanted that to be a story they did. I don’t think it is helpful to the accused. I think, there are many people that share your opinion that it is victim shaming. So, I believe it is regrettable,” he told reporters.