Dangriga activist echoes demand for justice
Rodriguez said he had no reason to believe Banner would harm his daughter, but tonight another man who is calling for murder charges to be laid is Bert Ramos, founder of an organisation called Fathers in Solidarity against Child Abuse. Ramos recently spearheaded a demonstration in Dangriga.
Hayedon Rodriquez
“Her sister work for me and due to reference from her sister we found it fit and found her fit enough to do the job and we never expected that it would come to this.”
Marion Ali
“But she was around the family before she brought the baby back right, before you entrusted the baby in her care?”
Hayedon Rodriqeuz
“Yes, she used to come around my place. Her sister was working for me so she was around quite some time so I got to know her through her sister and I kinda trusted her with what she was doing. I didn’t see any reason for it to come to this but this is where it is right now.”
Bert Ramos, Founder, Fathers in Solidarity against Child Abuse
“Di kids dehn need help and dat dah di reason why I gaan into it. But fi do something like dis, ih really cost wah lee penny yoh know. So the penny weh ih cost ih kinda dreg me dong because all my trips dehn to Dangriga, phonecalls, phoncards and so I had to sponsor myself so dat dah weh keep me back from having wah demonstration dah Ladyville. Recently yoh hear bout wah eleven year old dah Ladyville weh mi get abused and afta dah eleven year old get abused I continue listen pan di radio fi si if you woulda eva hear dat dis person get charged or dis person arrested. Up to dis present moment, yoh no hear bout it. People noh jus continue call me and seh dehn si di man dah Ladyville, dehn know da who and I could seh what to do? So dehn continue ask mek wi have wah lee demonstration dah Ladyville so ih really touch me fi know dat dah Ladyville ih happen weh pah people mi di ask me fi my assistance mek I come have a demonstration deh.”
“Now dis da di point we pah I want reach to. I wah call pan di government, I want call on di people; Mr. Elrington, I want call on the minister of human resources, I want on unnu man. We could stand up yah and we could di talk and talk and talk but unnu da di one weh got di powa. How could you have a magistrate sitting dong saying ih di represent di people, represent dehnn innocent kids and have dis magistrate di give bail to somebody who commit wah murder? Dehn could call it manslaughter, dehn could call it whatever, but the fact remains dis two year old died.”
“Now, I’m looking out to hear tomorrow on the news tomorrow or by Friday that the one who abused this two year old again get bail. Dat da weh we di look out fi hear but Belize City people have to come together and fight gainst it. I have said in my demonstration strong, stop the bail. But because di demonstration only mi happen da Dangriga, so only da Dangriga dehn stop di bail. Dis da noh only wah Dangriga thing, dis da wah countrywide thing.”
Up to news time, police had not charged anyone in connection with the baby’s death but still had Danna Banner in their custody.
