It's the crime that shocked Belmopan - a woman allegedly held captive for over a week by a pastor and his family. How could such a monstrous act have happened in the tranquil garden city.
Police are still trying to figure that out - but tonight the community has some peace knowing that
And tonight, the community has some peace knowing that the accused Tiul family members have been charged and remanded for these allegations.
All four family members, The husband of the victim, her mother in law, father in law and grandmother in law were escorted into the back of a police pickup truck, and refused to comment on the matter.
We spoke to the Compol about the case later in the afternoon. Jomarie Lanza Reports.
No one knows for sure what horrors occurred within the walls of this home in the Maya Mopan area of Belmopan. One thing we are certain of is that the victim of this tragedy is now in safe hands, while all four of her alleged captors were remanded to prison this morning.
The Tiul family was arrested and charged for the crimes of , aggravated assault, wounding, sexual assault and administering noxious matter. This is after police received a tip that the family had been holding the wife of 24 year old Luis Tiul Jr captive for 8 days, after she had attempted to visit her own family but ended up returning to the Tiul home.
Reports say that the 23 year old was beaten and starved by her husband, her 43 year old mother in law and 59 year old grandmother in law, and also sexually assaulted by her 45 year old father in law. After the family was charged, their pictures were released yesterday evening, and the Compol told us today that their identities should have remained confidential due to the nature of the case.
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"If I, I saw that our press office issued the photographs of the arrestees I would not have done that. That was ill advice. I have not spoken to Ms Hortence about it but by issuing the photographs of those persons who are arrested it then takes the public back to who the victim is. And the heinousness in which the crime was perpetrated against her I am sure that it is going to bring shame to her and it will cause her to relive when people look at her because people who know her husband and see his picture on the news will know exactly who the person is. I don't think in an instance like this we should not have exposed her the way we did."
It is a sensitive matter, and the Compol says consideration should be given towards the recovering victim. He adds that due to the way the story spread across the media, and because of its sensitive nature, the department may have to change the way they share certain details with media houses.
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"I cannot blame my press office because I did not advise them on it. It was after a saw that the photographs were released that came to my mind that I should have spoken to Ms Hernandez about it. It was already released and so I just left it at that and so I would want to think that in the future we should guard against those things."
Reporter-
"They were arraigned this morning and the Media would've been there in any event. Was this victim tortured?"
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"Again Mr Lopez I have to address this very very carefully. I do understand that they were arraigned this morning and the media would be there but please the media also has a responsibility. Nothing wrong to go and do and arraignment but if you know that the case is so sensitive that it is going to cause humiliation or embarrassment to a person who is a victim then we don't expose them in that way so I would expect that the media would exercise great caution just like when we deal with a child victim a rape victim. Because what happened to her is just as if she was raped. We don't expose them in such a way that the public is going to know who they are so I fully understand that the media would have been there but I do expect that they would have exercised caution not publish anything that is going to make anybody who knows the family know that she was the one who is the victim of this very heinous act."
The entire family was remanded and they are due to appear back in Court on January 22nd, 2025.
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