Police Minister Advocates for Stiffer Penalties for Gender Based Violence

Three days have gone by since the decomposing body of nineteen-year-old Imari Galvez was discovered off the Hummingbird Highway. Police are yet to make an arrest and our requests for an update from the department have gone unanswered. At the start of this morning’s Sitting of the House of Representatives, Kareem Musa, the Minister of Home Affairs, rose to respond to a question from the Leader of the Opposition. But, before doing so, Minister Musa expressed his condolences to the family of Imari Galvez, adding that there is a need for stiffer punishments against perpetrators of gender-based violence.

Kareem Musa

Kareem Musa, Minister of Home Affairs

“If I may, before responding to the question by the Leader of the Opposition, take this moment as the House of Representative to note the passing of the Imari Galvez who was murdered just a little outside of Belmopan or in Belmopan and taken on the Hummingbird Highway in a very gruesome and heinous fashion. But, certainly it is very telling for the times we are living that there are very cruel individuals out there and we are parents, we as members of this house, we as leaders in our community need to do more in terms of condemning this type of gender based violence and advocating for stiffer punishments and advocating for members of the community, the family members to play a greater role in the lives of our women. If we see something is going wrong, it is time for us to intervene if we see consistence abuse taking place. It is time for us to make it our business as members of the family, of the community and certainly try our endeavor best to ensure this type of heinous crime does not continue.”