18-Month-Old Child of Murder Victim in Protective Care
The Belize Police Department continues to investigate the murder of thirty-year-old Margaret Cleland that occurred on Tuesday evening in Willows Bank Village. As we reported, her common-law husband, fifty-two-year-old Emeterio Reyes, was detained by police for questioning. His alibi, however, will likely be that he arrived home on the same bus with his neighbor who he went to for help only a short while after arriving home. Tonight concludes forty-eight hours since Reyes’ was initially detained and police are yet to issue any reports of an arrest or charge against him. Notwithstanding the investigation, the couple’s eighteen-month-old child was found abandoned in the yard, inside a pool of water. The toddler has since been handed over to the Department of Human Service for protective custody. Today, Dolores Balderamos-Garcia, the Minister of Human Development, gave us an update on the child’s status.
Dolores Balderamos- Garcia
Dolores Balderamos- Garcia, Minister of Human Development
“I do want to take this opportunity to say that the cases that come to our ministry are hot and heavy. Everyday something is happening. I mentioned in my remarks that just yesterday we had the killing of a woman in Willows Bank and the little child was found in a poll of water playing. Now that child is in the care of our ministry as it would have to be nuh. That child is in need of care, the mother has just been killed. I think the reference came from the village chairlady if I am not mistaken and immediately we already have the child in care. I don’t know if it was a boy or girl. He was given a bath, food and clothes and everything and I believe that we have him in foster care with a set of foster parents that have proven that they are good at taking care of children. So we have taken immediate action, within twenty-four hours or less, within a few hours I can say. We believe the child is well placed so that we can offer that protection, because the police are still carrying out their investigation.”
Reporter
“The father was detained, but in the event that he is questioned and released, would the child be placed back with the father?”
Dolores Balderamos- Garcia
“Not necessarily. As we would know, the main priority and the main number one mantra of the entire childcare system is that we do what is in the best interest of the child. Even though the biological father would have first right to that child, we would have to look at whether the child would be safe. Even if the person is not guilty of what accusation may come, what we would do is make sure that the best interest of the child is taken care of.”
