Teacher raped in Cayo and a narrow escape in Belmopan
2012 also saw some of the country’s most heinous crimes committed on females. The murder of Jasmine Lowe and Suzenne Martinez in the Cayo district tugged at the country’s collective conscience and resulted in peaceful demonstrations for change. That change has not come as yet, as a Santa Elena teacher was reportedly raped early on Saturday morning. The twenty-eight year old victim told police that she was socializing at Meluchi’s Night Club on Saint Andrews Drive in San Ignacio and left in a taxi at about one-forty-five a.m. The woman says she asked the driver, whom she knows as Tony, to take her home, but instead he took her to a horse track in the Trapiche Area of Santa Elena and had forcible intercourse with her. Police have detained thirty year old Antonio Gongora, a San Ignacio taxi driver, pending charges.
Minutes after that incident, a sixteen year old waitress of the Las Flores Area of Belmopan was allegedly taken to a hotel against her will. The minor reported to police that she and her friends left La Cabana Night Club at around two a.m. in a Toyota Rav-4 driven by Alex Ayala. She says that a female friend was taken home, but she was taken to Kiss Hotel where Ayala and William Hernandez took her to a room. She asked to use the bathroom and ran for the door when she reentered the bedroom, but William allegedly stopped her from leaving while Ayala told her she wasn’t going anywhere. She eventually managed to escape and reported the incident to a nearby police mobile patrol. The officers then went back to the hotel where Ayala and Hernandez were arrested and charged for unlawful imprisonment.
Something is not adding up with the story given by that sixteen year old young Lady. By her own account she went willingly to the hotel with the two scoundrels. She is old enough to know that an invitation to a hotel room at 2:30 in the morning is not so she can get some milk and cookies.
If she was not up to their game, I would want to think she had enough opportunity to alert the front desk or security or make some noise to attract attention, before even entering the building.
Could it be a case of buyer’s/seller’s remorse?
Heey…Am just asking?
So who’s to blame if the lady is out at night partying at a questionable place? She was too drunk to defend herself? And what kind of example is it to do such things if she is a teacher? How adverse. She should have spent the time with her family enjoying the start of a new year instead of wasting money!!
My question is how did she even enter La Cabana Night Club at the tender age of 16?
Some places like La Cabana are only interested in your money! How could you let a 16 year old child in the club and where is this 16 year old girl’s parents?????
at 16 years you think you know everything..that the world is there for you to grab….even at 26 you still think the same…by 36 hopefully you have changed…by 46 hmmm…there is no hope for you. We have all the necessary laws to deal with most of the problems in our society, we just DO NOT ENFORCE them. That club should be closed. Licence cancelled. Owner charged period. Will that happen NO. La Cabana is just one example. I spent new years at a club, and i noticed how excited so many under 18 teens were out there drinking shots and very expensive 12 to 15 dollar shots…and aside from it being illegal…i started to wonder where do they get so much money. The under 18 age group is the group that gives the most business at any bar…why do you think most clubs decide to look the other way… the dollars rule at the end…
@BMP man
very simple fact is to enter any club in Belize all you need is a fake drivers license or fake ID…
this are laminated pieces of paper, the bouncer wouldnt know the difference.
on a side note I was stopped in pheonix AZ, and asked for my drivers license. Then was asked for my ID which was the laminated piece of paper. The policeman started laughing thinking that I was pulling off a joke. I finally showed him my passport and then we had a nice chat and we both went our ways. OH YEA I ACCIDENTALLY CUT SOMEONE OFF so the cop was justified in stopping me.
@islander…I agree with you 100% Our whole public sector is in a despicable state. These little things such as I.D. cards, driver license, etc..and not just that…it is all so so cheaply run.. And it wouldnt be hard to upgrade on these things.. Anyway, it doesnt help to just talk…all of us need to DO!!!!!
We share our sincere empathy with the Santa Elena Teacher and a friend and ex-employee of ours. She is well known to us and is a family friend and was once on the management team of Meluchi’s. We just want to clear up that Meluchi’s is not a night club as stated on this news release, we are a Restaurant & Lounge open-air. Also we are not a questionable place, we serve decent patrons and we are well known to mature, well known figures, families, singles, teens, and couples. This incident is indeed unfortunate and uncalled for. We are happy she garnered the strength to share her personal story with the community at large, and there is an advice others need to heed. This can happen anywhere.
Best to all in 2013!
Meluchi’s Management
@ Belizean…. I don’t think we should direct people how to spend their time or who to spend their time with. There’s a thing called DESTINY and NO ONE can chose their own. What happened to the teacher could have happen to anyone, myself, you (if you’re or woman or even a man) your siblings etc. So please don’t judge the young lady. We are all humans and she’s a young woman, of course she will want to go out and have fun. Who doesn’t????
And about the too drunk to defend herself.. let’s face it, even if she was not drunk, a woman can never compare her physical strength to man. So defended herself?? am sure she did!
Being a teacher does not mean we should confined ourselves to home. I don’t think any of the school rules say a teacher should be confined to home. NOTHING is wrong with enjoying yourself.. nothing at all.. and Like i said earlier, This is life and we never predict what will happen to us. What happened to her, we MUST NOT JUDGE HER! Put yourself in her shoe and i’m sure you’d feel her pain. Please let us not judge her but look out for our friends and families.
I hope she finds the strength in the Almighty to get over such tragedy…
belizean u are lawless no woman is to blame when she is a victim of rape it does not matter who she is even if she is a prostitute…No means No and no one has a right to touch any body without consent. For the victim u will over come remember time heals all pain and their is no shame baby life goes on….God be with us all!!
again and again, alcohol has played a roll in both of these crimes. Does anyone care? Does anyone see? The root cause of one of the fundamental problems in our country – alcohol and drugs. And there is an abundance of it on every corner in this country.