The Belmopan City Council has issued a strong condemnation following an incident earlier this month in which a 10-year-old child was struck in the face while waiting with his mother near the Belmopan Bus Terminal.  In a press release dated Thursday, the Council said it was deeply disturbed by reports and circulating social media footage of the attack. Preliminary information suggests the individual involved may be experiencing mental health challenges.  The Council stressed that violence in any form is unacceptable, particularly when minors and other vulnerable persons are affected, and emphasized that public safety in the capital remains a top priority.  At the same time, officials cautioned against stigmatizing persons living with mental illness, noting that most individuals with mental health conditions are not a danger to others and that discrimination undermines public health goals. The Council said effective responses must combine accountability with compassion.  Also, the council has come out to condemn the recent acts of gun violence in the capital city.  Area Representative Oscar Mira has committed to protecting Belmopan and cracking down with a crime prevention strategy.  With a double murder occurring on Friday, many of the residents are concerned, including union leader, Ella Waight, who is a native of Belmopan. 

Ella Waight, President, NTUCB: “The Belmopan I grew up in we could walk on those sidewalks at night, we used to go to basketball games, walk home at midnight and not have a care in the world, felt very safe. The murder of Mark Gabourel he’s my best friend’s brother so I felt that to my core when it happened. I’m so angry that someone would dare to do that in Belmopan, you know, our safe Belmopan. And my recommendation would definitely be on those works to put more lights and have cameras. We may not be able to stop crime. I’m not the one that will say, “Oh, police needs to stop crime.” Police cannot stop those people from doing what they want to do, they will do it. They don’t have any empathy. I don’t know where we went wrong as parents in this country, but they don’t have any empathy. So they will still kill. But if we have a system where we can find them and successfully prosecute them, it will then slow down. It will then mitigate the chances that they have to think that they will get away with it. So I will not be the one to sit here and say the minister of defense should do that and do that or the police is to blame. No. We as parents and society we are to blame. It’s sad that Belmopan has gotten to this point anda we have to demand that from the authorities. Let’s put in the resources. And parents, let’s try to raise these children properly. That’s all I can say. Let’s try to show them love. Take them to church. Let’s go old school. Get your butt up at six o’clock and go to mass every Sunday let’s just try our best to go back to those days because we can’t ever in Belmopan not in Belmopan.”

As it relates to the mental health issue, the Belmopan City Council says in recent months they have been working with the Ministry of Human Development and the Belize Police Department to address what they described as a concerning pattern of unprovoked attacks in Belmopan involving persons believed to have mental health difficulties.  These discussions have focused on expanding mental health outreach services, improving coordination among agencies responsible for public safety, and supporting interventions that protect the public while respecting individual rights and dignity