Victim fails to show up and accused throat slasher freed
Twenty-seven year old Marlon Contreras was ambushed in 2008 by an assailant who cut his throat. Contreras was lucky to survive, but when he didn’t show up in the Belmopan Supreme Court to testify on Wednesday, the alleged culprit also got lucky. Without the victim’s testimony, thirty-four year old Elvin Vanegas was found not guilty of Attempted Murder and Use of Deadly Means of Harm. Contreras had reported to police that on March twenty-ninth, 2008 he was travelling in a vehicle with a friend, Kareem Sosa, and they stopped at the junction of Baron Bliss and Kennedy Streets in Benque Viejo Town. It was around ten-thirty in the night and Vanegas allegedly crept up in the dark and attacked Contreras with a knife, which he used to cut his throat. While he was badly injured and bleeding, Contreras managed to make it to the Benque Viejo Police Station, where he was assisted and taken to the hospital.
Another victim in fear. Or perhaps we will learn of street vengance regarding this case.
All the magistrates in Belize are a JOKE.No wonder the crimes in Belize is so high.
Mr Vanegas make your peace with God because I believe you will be licky to be alive next year this time. I know I will read that you have been done in. I have seen it so many times this past year.
What a shame on our goverment! Surely they see too many cases like this where criminals get away because good citizens are too afraid to testify. The government needs to step up and come up with a way to stop this and make the people feel safe enough to come forward! Shame on our country, shame on this government!
The law should be changed: after a witness gives a sworn statement the statement should be permissible in court as evidence. Why should one have to go back and face their attacker again? This is double jeapordy.
Let’s start thinking about simple changes like this to get crooks off the street. Trust me he will be right back there again soon.