Two men charged for sexual abuse of minors

A Salvadoran national, employed as a meat vendor at the Queen’s Square Market, has been charged with the crime of Carnal Knowledge. He is thirty-one year old Jesus Echeverria, who appeared in court on Monday accused of sexually abusing a thirteen year old minor. No plea was taken because the offence is indictable and Chief Magistrate Margaret McKenzie explained to Echeverria through an interpreter that he could not be offered bail and so he was remanded until March third. The young girl reported to police that last year October, Echeverria had sex with her. The accused, however, has denied the allegation saying that the girl lied since he does not like her and that in fact she has two boyfriends. According to Echeverria, the girl is a problem child, who has run away from home on several occasions. The accused has been living in Belize for almost ten years.

But Echeverria is not the only person who is in trouble because of accusations by a minor. Today, fifty-one year old Lionel Scott, a laborer of Raccoon Street Extension, was charged with Aggravated Assault of a minor. Scott, who lives alone, allegedly took a ten year old child to his house. He was caught by a neighbor molesting the child. The incident was reported to the child’s mother and the police. Scott pleaded not guilty but was denied bail and remanded to the prison until February seventeenth.