Mother Turns On Daughter/Norman Rodriguez Accuser

Norman Rodriguez

Norman Rodriguez, the magistrate who was charged with rape on Wednesday, kept away from the courtroom today. The allegation against him is made by an ex-girlfriend who has given her version of events that took place at his house near the Alejo Beni Park while he was the sitting magistrate in Dangriga. Rodriguez has hired four attorneys to represent him, but the officer of the court has chosen not to say a word.  Tonight, however, the mother of the alleged victim has come forward. In an one-on-one interview with News Five’s Isani Cayetano, the mother adds a new twist to this tragic saga.

Isani Cayetano, Reporting

The sensational story of a sitting magistrate being accused of raping his ex-girlfriend continues to unravel, despite an arraignment in Belize City on Wednesday.  Norman Rodriguez did not show up to work this morning, leaving his chamber in Courtroom Number Three conspicuously empty.  Presumably, he has opted to vacate his seat on the bench until the matter against him has been dispensed with.  The allegation against him, however, is a wildfire that rages on in the public sphere.  Today, the mother of the alleged victim chose to speak up, refuting claims made by her daughter earlier this week.  To protect the identity of the alleged victim, we’ve also chosen not to disclose the identity of her mother.

Voice of: Mother of Alleged Rape Victim

“This lee gial gaan and do this thing and ih mek ih report and soh and ih noh tell me nothing weh ih gwein go do.  Ih noh tell me nothing what di happen because if ih mi sihdown and talk to me I woulda mih know exactly weh fu do.  I coulda mih tell ahn go do di report.  I mih wahn send ahn go mek di report too and I mih wahn talk to the man, tell di man noh come back because da noh every time ih come ih come visit me or so.  I mih wahn tell ahn noh come back.”

Isani Cayetano

“Who is this man you’re referring to?”

Voice of: Mother of Alleged Rape Victim

“The man da Norman, Norman Rodrigo.  Norman Rodriguez.  But weh happen, dehn have wahn relationship and di relationship dah wahn relationship weh still di go ahn between dehn.  But she have another man, wahn notha bwai.  So I guess that da all, that’s why this problem come up right now.”

The narrative has taken a new twist now that the mother has also come forward in the media.

Voice of: Mother of Alleged Rape Victim

“Dis bwai weh my daughter di fool with, I noh fool with he much and he, I noh mek he come dah my house because dis bwai have ih, I noh know if da ih wife but ih live wid di lady and ih have wahn pickney with di lady.  And I tell my daughter that I noh want ahn cohn da my house because I noh di encourage dehn deh.”

Isani Cayetano

“Your daughter, for whatever reason, based on the way you have described the situation, seems to be in the middle of a love triangle.  Do you believe that this is all a plot to derail Mr. Rodriguez’s career as a magistrate of the court?”

Voice of: Mother of Alleged Rape Victim

“That da weh I believe.  I believe dehn di try hambug this man offa ih job and that noh right because this man gaan all out fi do ih studies and get ih job and this man, this da this man job and this man reputation.  So I seh if she di tell lie, she, God noh di sleep.  Dah my child, I love them.  I love them and I fell for ahn eena wah way and yoh know why I feel for ahn eena wah way because if anybody di set up ahn out deh, she noh cohn round we fu talk to ahn.  And if anybody di set up ahn out deh dah noh dehn wahn feel, dah my child and she could get years da jail.  When ih deh da jail da me wahn feel it.”

That’s the mother’s perspective.  The daughter, on the other hand, believes that Rodriguez is using his influence to turn the family against her.

Voice of: Alleged Rape Victim

“To be real with you, none ah my family look back pan me right now because of him.  Because he promised them, he promised my ma that he wahn build wah house and ih promise my bredda that ih wahn give ahn job and ih di buy ova my families and none ah my families dehn di look pan me right now.”

Voice of: Mother of Alleged Rape Victim

“Then di part weh I noh like weh ih put ova news now, seh that Norman di bribe me, di build my house and di get job fi one ah my son and ih throw off my next son case.  Dehn deh mek I feel bad and mek di family look bad because yes ih done gaan mek ih report deh done di do weh dehn got fi do but why dis lee gial di add more thing to this thing?”

In the mean time, Rodriguez’s fate as a magistrate hangs in the balance, pending the outcome of the case against him. Reporting for News Five, I am Isani Cayetano.