Detained Minor Moved from Prison Following Investigation

Over the past few weeks we’ve been following up on the thirteen-year-old minor who was detained by police under the State of Emergency declaration. The minor was being held at the Wagner’s Youth Facility, inside the Belize Central Prison, much to the concern of his mother, who maintains that her son was a victim of the blanket style detentions. Love News has confirmed that the minor was transferred from the prison to another facility today, following an investigation conducted by the Ministry of Human Development. Today Minister of Education Francis Fonseca weighed in on the matter saying that, despite the position of the police commissioner, he did not believe the minor should have been sent to the Wagner’s Youth Facility.

Francis Fonseca, Minister of Education: “Yeah well I’ve been on record even before the commissioner spoke on this matter to say that I did not think that that was appropriate, that the young the 13-year-old should not have been in the Wagner’s facility, should not have been in prison. You know so I’m glad that they have moved him to, I think, the New Beginning Center is where he is now. I think that, so I think that was what should have been done in the first place. That is where he should have been sent in the first place. The Commissioner is right that there are serious challenges we have. We see that a phenomenon growing where gangs are targeting these young, very young people. It’s not new, you know, it’s not you know only in Belize. It’s happening all over. They’re targeting young people to commit very very serious crimes. So we have to take it seriously. But I think Belize understands, we in Belize understand that we have international obligations, we have to make sure that we are respecting the rights of children in particular. So that’s critically important that despite our understanding and appreciation that these are serious crimes being committed by some very young people, that we should do everything we can to make sure that we put them in the proper facilities where they can get the support and guidance and assistance that they need.”

Fonseca acknowledged that some minors are committing serious offenses, but says that is us up to authorities to ensure that a balance between justice and support is struck.

Fonseca added that he did not feel that the Convention on the Rights of a Child had been breached in this instance.