Convicted Rapist Hildo Pech Appeals 19-Year Sentence in High Court

Tonight, 51-year-old Hildo Pech is back behind bars awaiting a decision after he appealed his rape conviction in the High Court hoping to have his sentence overturned or decreased. 

On Tuesday, October 21, Pech, with the help of his Attorney, Lynden Jones, challenged his sentence in the Appeals Court. Attorney Jones submitted that the appellant’s sentence manifest was excessive, despite he was convicted of 2 counts of rape and handed down a sentence of 19 years 6 months, which was ordered by the learned trial judge to run concurrently and not consecutively. 

The calculation of Pech’s sentence was called out in court because the previous judge was unable to state the guidance he used when calculating his sentence. At the time of sentencing, Belize didn’t have a guideline for either sexual offenses or homicide. Due to this fact, the judge was left with no other option but to resort to the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court for guidance. 

Jones argued that the learned trial judge was wrong to be guided by the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court Guidelines and that the judge erred in law when he did not award the appellant further deduction for the mitigating and aggravating factors of the case. 

  Pech was convicted on June 26, 2024, of 2 counts of rape of a child, then age 9, and sentenced to 19 years 6 months, and for 6 counts of sexual assault of which he was sentenced to 5 years 6 months.