Does the B.D.F. Tolerate Sexual Harassment of its Female Staff? One Victim Speaks Out
Tonight we bring you more of our interview with the member of the civilian staff at the B.D.F. The victim has been working there for many years but as you heard in our Thursday night’s newscast, she doesn’t feel safe at her workplace. She feels that the culture at the B.D.F has encouraged some members of the force to use their authority to sexually assault and harass women. This woman fears that she will be victimized, that she will lose her job for speaking out about the injustices she, and other women experience on a daily basis, so we have chosen not to disclose her identity. Here’s the story:
Andrea Polanco, Reporting
A brave woman, a member of civilian staff, came forward to share some of the ugliness and sexual advances she and other women face every day on the job working at the B.D.F’s Price Barracks. Many of these men in uniform use their authority to mete out abuse in different forms. Many of their victims are women. A sergeant of the BDF sexually harassed her and because she rejected his advances he makes it difficult to carry out her job. He went so far as to threaten her with harm.
Voice of: Victim
“I called my supervisor one side and I said, ‘miss so and so, I told her about the harassment; the fresh words; the touching. I only could come up with that. I tell ah I nuh do this young man nothing. I notice every time I go in my area to work, he would reject me getting certain stuff that I need to do my work. There was one point where at time there was in incident before where he threatened me and told me that I can arrange something for you.”
This woman says that because the perpetrators are not held accountable, she feels like their complaints are minimized and that the actions taken show that the B.D.F condones sexual assault on women. She says that in her case, the officer may be protected even beyond the walls of the Price Barracks.
Voice of: Victim
“They do what they want and it is a cover-up for them.”
Andrea Polanco
“So, these perpetrators are protected within the B.D.F.?”
Voice of: Victim
“Yes, ma’am. They are. They are protected. The higher authority in the unit where I work, we get to understand that he has some relative that works with one of the ministers. And we get to understand that he puts out the situation that has been going on. He is the one always jeopardizing our jobs, telling us that if it were him, if he has the authority he would fire all of us civilians.”
Andrea Polanco
“Because he can’t get his way with you guys?”
Voice of: Victim
“Because he can’t get his way with us and we always try to turn to our administrator but most of the time our administrator doesn’t know half the things happening in my area, happening in the work-place because they keep it hushed.”
Andrea Polanco
“Do these soldiers have any respect for the administrator?”
Voice of: Victim
“Nope. They don’t respect the administrator. In other words, because of his linkage with the person, some part in Belmopan in the Ministry, I guess, nothing the administrator says he goes by.”
Andrea Polanco
“How comes this has gone unchecked for so long – you have made verbal reports; written reports, I would imagine?”
Voice of: Victim
“Yes because nobody does anything about it. If we don’t let our administrator knows, then that is how the B.D.F. keeps it closed. They don’t do anything.”
Andrea Polanco
“And you fear losing your job, so you don’t push it?”
Voice of: Victim
“Yes, because they make you get that understanding because everything they will be quick to write you up.”
She says that many of these men band together to not only cover up these incidents, but they also joke and talk about as something acceptable and normal within the work place. She says several of them use their rank to intimidate and harass and assault as they want to:
Voice of: Victim
“When I saw him with his promotion, I said ok, nothing came out of it. We have never been called to the administrator’s office. We have never been called to the CO’s office. We have never been called to the commandant’s office. I said, alright, good. That is why they never pushed it because he was to get his stripe. Now that he has that other stripe that he got, he feels like he has power over me; all of us civilians, not only me.”
Andrea Polanco
“Do you know if there are other allegations against this person – have you heard from other staff members?”
Voice of: Victim
“Yes. A young lady talked to me about it also, but you see, this is the thing, they keep it hushed.”
Andrea Polanco
“So, there are senior officers who are aware of what’s happening and really turn a blind eye to it?”
Voice of: Victim
“Mhmm. Yes. Because everybody hear about what’s going on because they make it known. They go about and talk it.”
Andrea Polanco
“As if it is something to celebrate?”
Voice of: Victim
“Mhmmm. Yeah.”
The victim believes that penalties for these crimes within the B.D.F do not match the offences. As a civilian staff member she feels powerless and even when she tried to seek help outside of the B.D.F, she was intimidated.
Voice of: Victim
“I told my Sgt. Major that I would make this a civilian matter. I told him that. So, he was like, ‘oh, he has his lawyer’ and that he has his money and that is how he did it in front of me, my Sgt Major and Supervisor.”
Andrea Polanco
“[He did it] to intimidate you?”
Voice of: Victim
“Mhmm. Yap.”
Andrea Polanco
“You feel powerless?”
Voice of: Victim
“Yes. We nuh have no power. None.”
Reporting for News Five, I’m Andrea Polanco.
Retired B.D.F. Captain Derricia Castillo has started a petition to have the Human Rights Commission investigate the allegations within the B.D.F. and other military agencies. Castillo has also gone on record in previous years to share the sexual assault she experienced while at the B.D.F. We’ll have more on this on Monday.
