Sex abuse claimant locked up lying

As the Human Development Department grapples with the growing number of reported sexual abuse cases, there are reports tonight that one Belize City mother may have tried to use the system to get her common law husband in trouble. In the courtroom of Chief Magistrate Herbert Lord this morning a defendant appeared to answer to the charge of indecent assault against of his four year old daughter. The child’s mother had reported to authorities that in March the man had molested the little girl while the three were sleeping in the same bed. But as Lord prepared to start the case, the mother told the court, “Your Honour, da me mek the mistake. Your Honour eh never happen. Da me gawn mek wah false report.” Lord asked the woman again, “You are saying this matter never happened?” And she replied, “Yes sir, it never happened.” To this the Chief Magistrate informed the woman that she was admitting to perjury, which is a crime, and immediately ordered that she be detained pending the outcome of a police investigation.