Last Friday we told you about a shocking case of human trafficking involving a 12-year-old girl who was sold to Salvadoran man by her 23-year-old sister. Well that woman and her common law husband, a Honduran have been charged for trafficking in persons and procuration.
The investigation has shown that on June 23rd of this year, the 21 year old told their mother that she and her common law would take her little sister from their home in Cowpen to Corozal. But instead of taking the child to Corozal, they took her to Belmopan, where she was handed over to Santos Martinez. He was supposed to pay a thousand dollars for her, but only paid $100. He then took the child to Salvador via Guatemala. The child has told police that Martinez raped her several times between Guatemala and Salvador.
When they got to Salvador, Martinez stayed with relatives and that's when his sister in law reported him to authorities in that country. Martinez remains imprisoned there, but they returned the child, now 13 years old, to Belize and she has since been transferred to the custody of the Human Development Department. She comes from a family of fourteen and she is the first to the last born.
