Belize City man guilty of Aggravated Assault of an Indecent Nature

Edelmiro Oliva

The Chief Magistrate Ann Marie Smith today sentenced a Belize City man to three years in prison for the indecent assault of young girl. Thirty-eight Edelmiro Oliva was found guilty of Aggravated Assault of an Indecent Nature. The Chief Magistrate said that, “These kinds of cases are prevalent and we must ensure we send a message.” The main witness was the victim who at the time of the incident was eight years old.  The girl told the court en camera that on July eighteenth, 2013, Oliva sucked her nose and caressed her buttocks. Oliva was represented by attorney, Simeon Sampson; he denied what the young girl had said but at the end of the trial, the Chief Magistrate found Oliva guilty and sentenced him to three years imprisonment. Sampson informed the court that he will be appealing the conviction because Oliva was innocent.  He was also of the view that a suck of the nose does not constitute a charge of indecent assault and that if any charge should have been levied, it should have been for a common assault.