Three weeks ago Devain Flores Sr pleaded guilty to child cruelty for mercilessly abusing a 3 year old child. Fortunately, it was caught on camera -and he saved the court's time by pleading guilty to child cruelty.
The Commissioner of Police - who made the unusual decision to prosecute the case himself - pushed for Flores to be sent to jail - and today, he delivered on that. Jomarie Lanza was at the courthouse.
Nearly a month after security cameras caught him physically abusing a three year old child in the street, 33 year old Devain Flores, was sentenced this morning, and will be spending the next twelve months at the Belize Central prison.
The Commissioner of Police personally prosecuted the case and pushed for Flores to be confined and not just fined. Today, he expressed his satisfaction with the outcome.
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"I am satisfied yes that the court imposed the maximum sentence of 12 months. I wish they had run consecutively but instead the magistrates chose to have them run concurrently so in other words he will only serve 12 months as opposed to 24 months but in terms of the magistrate imposing the maximum sentence on both counts of 12 months each. I think that the punishment do fit the crime. The child who has been abused and his parent can now feel at ease that the perpetrator will be behind bars and so for that I am extremely happy."
Flores was previously convicted twice for violence, and once for burglary. But due to other aggravating factors presented in the cross examination, regardless of his guilty plea for child cruelty, the magistrate was of the view that they must send a clear message to the public that there are serious penalties for endangering children. We asked the Compol if these offenses should carry a stiffer penalty.
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"Certainly yes it should and it's something I discussed with the minister of human development and we are looking at the revision of the law so as to make it more a serious offense as well as to remove some of those elements that exist in order for the offense to be created."
"Well the magistrate was extremely clear in her assessment of the matter in terms of saying that we must send a strong message to persons who have care of children that as a society we must protect our future our children are our future and if we don't do what we can to protect them then who is going to do so. So I think the magistrate was very clear in that as well."
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