One retired BDF Captain was aghast at the AG's tone, calling his words
"chauvinistic." Derrica Castillo was among those who provided up to an
hour's worth of testimony in recent cases of sexual impropriety alleged
to have taken place within the ranks of her former comrades.
Today she spoke to Cherisse Halsall via zoom videoconference and
described her reaction to what she calls a wishy-washy BDF report
designed to tip-toe past inevitable public outrage.
Derrica Castillo - Activist/ Former BDF, soldier
"It was a pathetic attempt to try and calm the crowd before a storm. The
BDF knew that the sexual assault or the rape case that went to the courts
yesterday would have gone to the courts, they knew that that would have
been made public and prior to the question being well wasn't this what we
were looking at initially? I think that was an attempt to just people
having something to say that BDF is still being neglectful to sexual
assault cases. So, I think that was just a way to say don't lash us too
hard when we tell you about this case that will be coming out in the media.
If we go back to the January interview it was the general himself, who put
himself in front of the cameras saying that he would deal with the
situation. So why is it now that the situation has been dealt with, in the
eyes of the Ministry, that he hasn't come forward and said this is what
we're doing, this is how we're doing it. The POP case is a different case
as to the alleged cases from January, the cases from January the CDBF. That
is outside of the jurisdiction of the CBDF not cases that they could have
dealt with."
Cherisse Halsall
"What do you make of the comments that Lieutenant Colonel Brandon Garcia
made to the reporter, He said None of the BDF officers who were under
investigation for reports of sexual assault and other offenses will face
criminal charges, because despite a completed investigation that pointed to
"some wrongdoing and negligence," no crime was committed."
Derrica Castillo
"I think all I can say is a very cynical I told you so because initially
when we were told that the police would be doing an investigation of the
Belize Defense Force I said that's as if we're looking for big brother to
say what little brother did wrong, their one Ministry they work hand in
hand with each other and hence the reason we're calling for a transparent
and independent investigation none of which we received, It wasn't an
independent investigation because it was still persons who represented the
Ministry of National Security who did this investigation."
"It's been proven time and time again that the Belize Defense Force
cannot address the culture. It's been proven time and time again that
the BDF on it's own cannot address the culture and I will say culture
because I heard an interview that the Minister of National Security
made, that there is no such culture and as a woman, a woman who was
within that system I will say that his comment was full of male
chauvinistic remarks, the fact that he would simply disregard as women
and say that there are no such things as men and women with in the
force, there are only soldiers. The needs of men and women are
different within the Belize Defense Force, within any structure. The
Minister of national security himself said the officer chose to take
the matter to the police, I've stated this over and over and over
again, the commander of the Belize Defense Force, whether it's Mr.
Steven Ortega or Mr. John Doe, does not have the right to deal with
rape cases. So how can you tell the Belizean public that the officer
chose to go to the police station when that is her right and that is
what the Belize Defense Force system should have supported and
encourage her to do. There is no system within the BDF and it's been
proven, the case is in the courts now because and I will quote again
the Minister of National Security, the officer chose to go to the
police department."
We note that there was not even a hint of a public presentation of the
report's findings, which is why we are applying for it under the
Freedom of Information act.
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