One Year in Jail for Selling Her Sister

She sold her 12-year-old sister into sexual slavery and now 23 year old Celia Garcia from the Independence area and her common law husband Walter Swazo will spend a year in jail for it. The full trial was held a week ago in Belmopan magistrate's court where they were found guilty of trafficking in persons and each sentenced to one year in prison. The facts of the case are that in June the older sister sold her sister to 52-year-old Salvadoran Santos Martinez. Martinez was caught in El Salvador where his sister in law called the police on him after it became apparent that he was molesting the child. Martinez remains detained in that country. The girl, now 13, was returned to Belize earlier this month and placed in the custody of the Human Services Department. Walter Swazo and his common law wife are now serving out their sentences at the Hattieville prison.