A teenaged girl who ran away last week and then told police she had been abducted has issued a public apology. In a press release today, 14-year-old Karen Williams explained why she left home, told where she was during her four-day disappearance and why she felt she had to lie about being kidnapped. Williams says […]
Belize’s Ombudsman, Paul Rodriguez, has been accepted as a full member of the Council of Central American Ombudsmen. Rodriguez was invited to join the council by Guatemala’s Ombudsman, Julio Arango Escobar, during the 12th annual meeting of the region’s Ombudsmen held last week in Guatemala. Rodriguez says one of the most important declarations made by […]
Ombudsman Rodriguez says here at home most of the complaints he hears center on land issues and allegations of police brutality. Rodriguez is calling for transparency in the Police Department. Paul Rodriguez, Ombudsman “I think that our military and our police enforcement agencies are going to have take the idea of transparent seriously. Just and […]
With parents all over Belize living in fear that their girls could at anytime be abducted, assaulted or worse, it is shocking to discover that once again a teenaged girl has runaway and then claimed she was kidnapped. The runaway, who was found today, first lied to her family and then the entire community when […]
Her daughter has left home before, but this time Dorla Matura is really worried, not only because of the length of time, but because of the recent abductions and murders of girls Karen Williams’ age. Today Matura told News Five why she thinks her daughter ran away and appealed to the girl to come home, […]
In what we are hoping is not related news, a 14-year-old girl was reported missing today in Belize City. Although the teen disappeared on Monday after school, the family did not make a police report until today. Karen Williams of Central American Boulevard is a Standard 6 student at St. John Vianney School. She is […]
The media houses have gotten together to try and get the message out to kids and parents to “Watch Yu Back, Anybody Could Be Jack” and today when it was reported that a Belize City student had gone missing, people came forward with information. The 13-year-old’s schoolmates from St. Mary’s told their teacher the girl […]
We all want smoothly flowing traffic in the city, but then again, part of the excitement of Belize City life is having to deal with the street side vendors, cars and trucks that stop where ever they feel like it and bikes and pedestrians dodging in and out. For the past 20 years or so, […]
On Wednesday a group of Orange Walk students visited various media houses to protest changes occurring in the bus service to Belize City. Although the owner of Venus, which recently bought out Escalante and Urbina’s bus companies, Froylan Gilharry told News Five he could not afford to keep the rates these two were charging, the […]
As part of women’s week the Women’s Issues Network of Belize, WIN, is holding its second annual fair this Saturday. Women’s group from every district will participate. There will be displays, demonstrations, cultural and food sales. However, this year women are also being invited to check out loans available through a Micro Enterprise Credit Scheme […]
With an estimated one thousand students and workers commuting from Orange Walk town to Belize City on a daily basis, the announcement early this week that Urbina’s and Escalante bus lines had been bought by the Venus bus line caused quite a commotion. Orangewalkenos didn’t take the situation lightly; especially when they found out it […]
This weekend rumours that a priest had admitted to the child murders and bloody clothes and other incriminating evidence had been found in his possession spread like wildfire throughout the city. However, they proved to be untrue. Today News Five spoke with Police Press Officer Christy Castillo and Father Noel Leslie of St. Ignatius Parish. […]
While the adults spent the day wondering if the Belizeans in Guatemala would be home this weekend as hoped, the children of the nation turned their thoughts to more innocent pursuits as they celebrated their day. There were some somber moments as they remembered those among them who have been murdered, but in general it […]
Women’s Week begins on Sunday and culminates on March 8th, International Women’s Day. The theme, “Women United to Create Positive Change” will be celebrated with a fundraiser for Haven House. Other events include a female football marathon, a talk show on safe sex, the “Sistah Powah” variety show, as well as a Women’s Fair and […]
In related news, the mystery of the missing flag has been solved. A press release from the Scout Association says that following an emergency meeting on Tuesday, the Association took a decision to no longer raise the Guatemalan flag at the Belize City roundabout. The reasoning given was the fear that angry Belizeans might take […]
While the victim of the alleged abduction attempt today escaped with her life, there are others who were not so lucky. This week three organizations, which deal with children, announced that they view the murder of eight of Belize’s girls and the seemingly constant stream of rapes and sexual assaults against children as a declaration […]
To protest the murder of another child, Noemi Hernandez, and continuing crimes against children the NCH/Belize Action for Children, the National Committee for Families and Children and the Young Women’s Christian Association are organizing a march on Thursday afternoon. The agencies are inviting all southside schools to meet at the Roger’s Stadium at 2:30 and […]
A two-year-old girl is dead after reportedly falling down a flight of stairs. The tragic accident took place around one Saturday afternoon on West Street in Belize City. According to police, the toddler and a five-month-old baby were left in the care of their twelve-year-old brother while the mother went to work. The older boy […]
Noemi Hernandez’s remains were buried yesterday at the Lord’s Ridge Cemetery, however her father, Francis Hernandez went to Police today asking if the remains could be exhumed so the family could hold a proper funeral. However during a Police press conference this evening, Mario Vernon, Head of C.I.B. said that Mr. Hernandez, who was present […]
The proposed Chalillo Dam has had its fair share of support and criticism alike. Last week, B.E.L. opened the floor for questions from the general public. Today BACONGO, the Belize Alliance of Conservation NGOs, had its turn to discuss the project. The energy conference focused on different issues like alternative energy sources as well as […]
When someone is the victim of domestic abuse or sexual assault it is easy for the rest of us to say, “oh she should get counseling.” But this is not always easy to come by, or afford. Today the Ministry of Human Development opened a center where people can receive individual or group counseling for […]
Yesterday, News Five looked at the sensational and, as it turns out false, reporting of an incident on Euphrates Avenue. A stranger picked a child up in his arms and then let her go when she started screaming and a shopkeeper ordered him to drop the child. The Reporter newspaper reported the incident, incorrectly quoting […]
The Police and the Ministry of Human Development have not indicated any intention to pursue the matter legally. The police have decided however to fast track a media policy which will cover such issues. In a footnote to our coverage yesterday about the discrepancy between the eye-witness accounts on television and in the newspapers we […]
On Wednesday, the Women’s Issues Network of Belize will host a public lecture on Trade Liberalization and Globalization and how it will affect Women in Belize. Doctor Mariama Williams, Research Coordinator for Women’s Strategic Planning Seminar on Gender and Trade in Jamaica is in Belize for the occasion. She will be leading the discussion and […]
Sometimes in reporting the news, the real story is not necessarily the one you see in the headlines. Rather it is in the story behind the story, that is, the way an event is reported may be more important than the event itself. Such appears to be the case with an incident that occurred last […]
