Police Officer Sentenced to Prison for Sexual Assault of Colleague

A Belize Police Officer was sentenced to eight months in prison today after being found guilty of sexually assaulting a female colleague while on duty. Brigilio Ack, a 39-year-old interdicted officer, was convicted of inappropriately touching, squeezing, and kissing the victim at the Rocky Road Police Booth in Belize City. The ruling was delivered by a Senior Magistrate following a trial that began in January 2024.  The conviction stems from an incident that occurred on March 20, 2023. According to the victim’s testimony, Ack, who was 27 at the time, first touched both of her legs without her consent around 12:15 a.m. a short while later, at approximately 3:15 a.m., she said he then squeezed both of her breasts and kissed her on the neck. The victim testified that she told him to stop, but he refused.  During the trial, the female police constable provided a detailed account of the assault. The evidence presented was deemed “overwhelming” by the court, leading to the guilty verdict.  In his defense, Ack remained silent and was not represented by an attorney throughout the proceedings. He had been out on bail since being charged with the crime. Ack is a resident of Mahogany Heights Village in the Belize District. Following the verdict, he was immediately taken into custody to begin serving his sentence.