Email

Print

106-New BDF soldiers-14 of them women had their formal passing out today at Price Barracks Ladyville. It was a ceremony filled with the usual Pomp and Circumstance but, it happened under a cloud because varied and vile sexual improprieties are alleged to have occurred during their basic training.  And, the allegation is that it came down from the senior personnel who was in charge of the training of the female recruits. 

And, after the passing out ceremony, we spoke to the Commander of the Belize Defence Force Brigadier General Steven Ortega who yesterday in a press release called the occurrences grossly unacceptable. Today he told us that the only way to fix these issues is to investigate and put measures in place to ensure that these types of abuses never happen again:

Derricia Castillo- Salazar, Former BDF  Captain
"The Belize Defense Force has no jurisdiction over rape or sexual assault offences. So, I do not understand why the commander feels as if though he has the authority to judge these cases. This is a civil matter case that should be handled through the civil authorities. This does not fall under the military law. The culture does exist and when we say officers, if we speak militarywise, we are looking at the top or the higher echelon. It goes below the higher echelon. It goes from the beginning. It goes through out the entire ranks. I mean, yes we do have officers and senior officers who abuse their power in sexual wise to gain sexual favors but it is a culture that is embedded in the military. And it is not like it is foreign or it is local to only the Belize Defense Force. I mean we have seen studies where this is an issue throughout majority of the armed forces which exist. But what these armed forces have which the Belize armed force does not have is a structure and a way of dealing with these issues. The Belize Defense Force says they are going to be doing an internal investigation. There is no Policy to date as to how this investigation will be done. I just know that the system is corrupt and whatever next intake comes in there is a possibility it can happen again. In 2011 I wrote my first case to the Human Rights Commission when I was sanctioned by the BDF for speaking on the case. I did an interview around this time at BDF and it was with a reporter on the radio and it was sanctioned in regards to speaking on my case based on the fact that there is an oath that we sign that is military persons and I was told that I am not the voice of the military so I cannot speak on behalf of my case. At that point I made very clear that my body is not a property of the Belize Defense Force so I am entitled to speak on my case. I also made a submission to the Human Rights Commission as well when my perpetrator was being ferried to and from different camps when my civil case was opened. It took almost two months before he was allowed to be interviewed by the Belize Defense Force. He was moved from Camp A to Camp B to Camp C, then he was put on leave. So, it was actually me having to call the police station on Ladyville and say, 'Hey, he is here on camp, come and do that interview.' So, I think it is beyond the allegations that arose but the fact that now it has been almost seven months since I have been retired from the Belize Defense Force. So, this is a time now where I can make a difference. I could not have made a difference as a captain within the Belize Defense Force so of course there is a lot of red tapes. So, now it has been almost 7 months and I think now is a very opportune time where I can make my voice be heard."

Former BDF Captain Derrica Castillo-Salazar is speaking out as a survivor of what she calls the BDF's toxic environment created for women. She's also urging the public to sign a petition urging the Human Rights Commission to conduct a full investigation into violations and to make legal and structural steps to eradicate sexual violence within the military. She told us why she believes Brigadier General Stephen Ortega cannot be allowed to judge this case:

Brig. Gen. Steven Ortega, Commander, Belize Defence Force
"Of course, no commander would feel good to have negative reports coming out. But I believe that at the end of the day, we are here to fix problems that exist and there is only one way to fix it. If we investigate it and put proper measures in place to ensure that it doesn't happen again."

Reporter
"Now sir, addressing the issues that have arisen from this group of the female intakes, we are hearing that there was some impropriety, there were mistreatment of the recruits in terms of officers abusing their position. Do you have any comment on that?"

Brig. Gen. Steven Ortega
"Well, I believe, I think it was yesterday, the Ministry sent out a press release that there is an ongoing investigation, so whenever that investigation is concluded, those who are found that have been at fault will be disciplined. I don't know how much you know about the military but it is all about standards and discipline. And so, that is the only culture I know about, standards and discipline. So, there will always be, like in society, some people who are rogue, who don't do what they are supposed to do when they are supposed to do it but for the most part, we go by that standard. If you have a complaint, you pass it up through the chain of command, you do a written report and that report formulates whatever disciplinary measures is made against the accused and the accused of course gets a chance to defend himself and we go from there whatever the verdict is. I don't see the reports because at the end of the day they will come to me. So, the investigators, they go through whatever they need to do and then they formulate what charges need to be filed and afterwards those come to me."

Reporter
"One of the victims that we spoke to yesterday said she went to the commandant with her complaints."

Brig. Gen. Steven Ortega
"I am the commandant. I am the commander presently and I haven't received anything as such."

Reporter 
"Have you spoken to any of the female recruits, anyone hear about those allegations of sexual assault?"

Brig. Gen. Steven Ortega
"None of them about that. No."

Reporter
"Sir, but as the commandant, shouldn't you know how many allegations have been made so far? This broke since Tuesday."

Brig. Gen. Steven Ortega
"Yes, it broke since Tuesday but I chose not to get involved in the investigation because I will, at the end of the day, try these cases. So that is like a judge being part of the investigation. How will that look?"

Reporter
"Are you aware of any military office has previously been charged with a sexual harassment charge."
Brig. Gen. Steven Ortega
"Not to my recollection."

Reporter
"And sir, in that vain there are rumours of a pregnancy that may have resulted from these improper actions. In a case like this how would that be tried once a DNA test has come through."

Brig. Gen. Steven Ortega
"We have policies government the relationship between instructors and students or in this case recruits. The defense act covers military matters. So, persons in uniform. And yes, we do have a sexual harassment policy that if you breach you will be disciplined. And the civilians, most of the persons who work here are open vote, so they are government by that regulation or the public service regulations."

And while this sexual impropriety scandal took prominence today, we note that there are 106 new soldiers and we'll tell you about their passing out later in the News.