Cayo woman charged for pimping out daughter
Tonight police have arrested and charged a mother for procurement after official investigations confirmed that the woman was forcing her teenaged daughter to have sex for money. Authorities have identified the mother as fifty-two year old Petronila Urratio, a naturalised Belizean living in San Ignacio town. We understand that for the past year, Urratio has been soliciting clients for her thirteen year old daughter, who paid cash to have intercourse with the girl. Investigations continue and cops say more charges may be filed later this week. The case is the second reported incident of human trafficking in the last week and authorities tell News Five today that despite recent activity combating the disturbing issue, many victims continue to suffer in silence.
Dolores Balderamos-Garcia, Special Envoy for Children
?Trafficking could be the transport, the harbouring, the receipt, anything having to do with a child. It doesn?t necessarily have to be across borders, but once there is benefit, financial or otherwise of another person for a damage done to a child, that is human trafficking.?
?That is why we have to look at the brothel situation, that is why we have to look at the cruise ships coming in. we hear already of cases of children being exploited, the taxi drivers know where the tourists can go, for example. And Karla, this is happening in Belize. And we not only have to sit up and take notice, but really start to get our ministries and all our agencies involved in protecting children.?
?Children in that kind of circumstance would definitely be removed from the situation of exploitation. And the mother or the family or the uncle benefiting?like I said, you?ve heard of these recent cases now, a mother prostituting the daughter, actual sale of a child, I mean those are severe and serious trafficking cases that we have to get on top of.?
According to Balderamos-Garcia, in 2003 the United States ranked Belize as a tier three country for trafficking in persons, which Government rapidly responded to by passing the trafficking in persons prohibition act. An anti-trafficking in persons committee has since been established and we understand a paper is presently before Cabinet to enhance the power and resources of that committee.
