Photo: Desmond Arzu, charged for sexual assault

by Kristen Ku

BELIZE CITY, Mon. May 15, 2023

Back in March, Police received a report from a 23-year-old woman who accused a radiologist of Punta Gorda Town, identified as Desmond Arzu, of sexually assaulting her during an ultrasound procedure that he conducted on her.

According to her report, on March 26, after conducting her pan-abdominal ultrasound exam, Arzu instructed the woman, who was still lying on the examination table, to remove her clothes from the waist down under the pretext of having to conduct a transvaginal ultrasound.

Confused and inexperienced with the process of ultrasounds, the woman complied, as she trusted his judgment.

The woman reported that she endured his invasive finger probing with great apprehension, but it was when he removed his mask and glasses in an attempt to make eye contact with the patient, and then proceeded to massage her right breast while again probing her, that she finally understood what was taking place.

Feeling violated, the young woman immediately wrote a letter to the Ministry of Health and Wellness, the Ministry of Home Affairs and New Growth Industries, and the Ministry of Human Development, Families and Indigenous Affairs, in hopes of receiving some type of justice for what she had been through.

But after seeing no action being taken by these three entities, she decided to officially file a police report.

“… Police arrested and charged Desmond Arzu, 39 years, Belizean radiologist of a Belmopan Street address, for the crime of sexual assault. A thorough investigation was carried out, the file was sent to the DPP and we received direct tips to proceed with this charge against this doctor,” reported ACP Hilberto Romero.

Arzu has since been criminally charged with sexual assault. He was granted bail and is to reappear in court on July 28th at the Supreme Court.

Notably, Arzu has been previously accused of similar behavior by other patients who are still waiting to see justice.