Belizean police accused of human rights violations.
| Autor | Reynolds, Louisa |
Just more than half the citizen complaints against public authorities reported to the Office of the Ombudsman of Belize in 2014 refer to human rights violations allegedly committed by the police.
The Office of the Ombudsman of Belize was created in 1999 as an independent bureau that investigates alleged abuses committed by public authorities and seeks redress on citizens' behalf.
In 2014, citizens made 220 complaints, compared with 211 in 2013. Of the 220 complaints made in 2014, 116 were against the police force. They include grievous bodily harm against suspects or detainees, murder, misconduct, corruption, falsifying police statements, drunk and disorderly behavior in public, failure to investigate alleged crimes, unlawful search and seizure, false imprisonment, malicious prosecution, mistaken identity on a police record, theft, and misappropriation and damage or destruction of property, including property held as exhibits.
The Ministry of National Security, which includes the Coast Guard and the Belize Defense Force, accounts for 58% of the complaints. Allegations against the police made up 89% of all complaints levied against the Ministry of National Security.
Lionel Arzu, head of the Office of the Ombudsman of Belize, said a very small number of cases have been solved, working with the Professional Standards Branch of the Police Department.
The report quotes the case of mentally ill Moses Williams as an example of police brutality. Williams' family members claim that Big Falls residents did not want him in the area because of his condition and that he had been subjected to threats and harassment from the police. On Feb. 17, 2014, he was involved in an argument with a police agent who allegedly shot him in the right leg to subdue him, and he later died while receiving treatment. Belize's Mental Health Association was highly critical of the way police handled the situation and said Williams' death could have been avoided.
One of the most recent cases of alleged police brutality occurred on March 8, when the police detained a number of individuals suspected of involvement in a shooting incident. Plus TV Belize reported that one man was beaten while on the ground even though the detainees were cooperating with the police at all times.
The Gang Suppression Unit (GSU), in particular, has been accused of a number of human rights violations including beating suspects and searching homes without a warrant (NotiCen, Oct. 13, 2011).
One of the...
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