In 2015, 18 year old Hilberto Sotz was killed in police custody on Caye Caulker.
Today the two police officers who had initially been charged jointly with murder but later downgraded to manslaughter were sentenced.
PC Leonard Nunez and PC Hallett King were brought in a police mobile from prison this morning and walked into court in cuffs pending a sentence, but within hours, they emerged free men.
The biggest concern this morning before the judge was whether the officers meant to kill him or whether Sotz's death was accidental. The post mortem could not confirm whether he died from a fall or blunt force trauma to the head.
This matter was further muddled by the fact that no weapon could be identified as the that caused Sotz's death.
ustice Colin Williams took into consideration the aggravating and mitigating factors in the case.
The aggravating factor was the charge of manslaughter and the death of someone whilst in police custody. The mitigating factors are that the convicts were police officers on duty, they both have immaculate records, with no conviction for any criminal offenses, they have a family network and both showed remorse.
In the end, Justice Williams sentenced the officers to time served, the 1 year, 4 months they already served in jail. With that, they were free to go.
Sotz's parents were in court today to hear the sentencing and left incensed at the court's ruling.
Carmelina Sotz, Mother of the deceased
"So who am I? Am I I not a human being as they are? What would they do if they were in my shoes? How would they feel?"
"I was expecting at least three years or more because they killed my son innocently. If my son would be guilty, ma'am, I swear I would say they can go on the street free because I would have known that my son was guilty but I tell you with God as my witness my son was not guilty and they took away his life without considering that he was a child."
"I work hard like an animal to give him everything he needed. Because my dream was to see my son graduate from high school and to be someone on this earth. Because his biggest dream was to be a doctor."
"Yes, I have another son I'm pushing through school. He's going to third form this year, but with how hard I have had to work to give my children what they need; this is the way the government, the police that we call for help, are destroying our lives on this earth. This is not fair. This is not fair but, one day they will be in my shoes."
Saturino Sotz, Father of the deceased
"My mind is to make a civil suit against them because they are guilty of the crime that they have done and the law has set them free. And I know 100% that Nunez killed my son that is why I'm not satisfied ad there is no justice. I don't know what is going on with the government and the court."
"I have to make a civil suit because they haven't even come to talk to me about anything. If I had committed the crime they would have put me in jail, one time."
The Judge noted that while they both maintain they are innocent of the crime they were accused of, they never said they committed the act but expressed condolences to the deceased family.
