Calls Grow for Belize to Implement Sex Offenders Registry

Almost one year after government announced plans for the full rollout of Belize’s long-awaited National Sex Offenders Registry, during a May 2025 House Meeting, the system is yet to be realized or formally implemented.  As a matter of fact, different administrations have been toying with the idea of a sex offenders registry since November 2018 when an official launch was organized.  The matter resurfaced this weekend, however, with the Office of the Special Envoy for the Development of Families and Children calling for urgent national attention on the matter.  In its press release, the office described the establishment of a National Sex Offenders Registry as critical to protecting women and children from sexual abuse, exploitation, and violence. The statement argues that the identities of convicted sexual offenders should not remain hidden while vulnerable groups continue facing threats, including from individuals placed in positions of trust and authority.  The release points to the growing number of allegations involving educators, police officers, and other authority figures as fueling public concern and intensifying demands for greater accountability and transparency. Speaking during the 2025 budget debate, Minister Kareem Musa had said the system would become an important tool for protecting vulnerable populations and strengthening investigations and law enforcement coordination.  At the time, the minister also outlined plans for improved interagency data sharing and regional collaboration with countries such as Barbados and Jamaica on crime observatories and digital governance initiatives.  For context, here is Musa’s delivery in the House last May.

Kareem Musa, Minister of Home Affairs and New Growth Industries (May 28, 2025): “Mr. Speaker, in the upcoming fiscal year, it is our intention to scale up the following initiatives. The first is the upgrade and rollout of the National Sex Offenders Registry with enhanced data security, real-time tracking, and compliance monitoring features. This tool will serve as a protective measure for vulnerable populations and a mechanism for investigation and deterrence. We will formalize interagency data sharing agreements to break down the silos across government and improve data cross validation critical for more coordinated whole of government responses to crime, education and social services. We will host regional knowledge exchanges with counterparts from Barbados and Jamaica, expanding Belize’s role as a model for digital governance and integrated crime observatories in the Caribbean. The BCO demonstrates that what gets measured gets managed and what gets managed gets improved. With this budget, we will strengthen its capacity to ensure that data remains one of the most powerful tools in our mission to create a safer, more informed Belize.”

According to the Special Envoy’s Office, a national registry would help empower families and communities with information while also serving as a deterrent against repeat offenses.  Belize’s National Sex Offenders Registry was originally mandated through amendments to the Criminal Code in 2014, but implementation has faced repeated delays over the years. In this current statement, the Office of the Special Envoy also urged Belizeans to “break the silence” surrounding sexual abuse and stand together in defense of the safety and dignity of children. The release concluded with the message: “Call Them Out.”