This weekend, Belizeans tuned into the different social media platforms were outraged when a series of 3 videos went viral in which a prominent gang figure was seen abusing and torturing a 16-year-old male minor. The images are graphic, and the disturbing nature of the violent acts reached a new level in the public domain. The victim, a teenager, was electrocuted to the face and the torso, and later on, his captors held him down while someone tried to slice off the tip of his little finger.
The perpetrator, based on the video capturing the incident, has been identified as the well-known Oliver Sutherland, a resident from the Conch Shell Bay Area of Belize City. He, his associate Elvin Smith; and his girlfriend, Axia Sanchez, have since been arrested and jointly charged with attempted murder and kidnapping. Sutherland and Smith have also been jointly charged with wounding.
7News has been following this story since it broke this weekend. If you have young children watching the news, now would be an appropriate time to ask them to take a short break. Daniel Ortiz reports:
The torture of a 16-year-old male minor was broadcasted live on social media by Oliver Sutherland, one of the 3 defendants who has since been charged with his kidnapping and attempted murder.
In the video feed, Sutherland brazenly shows his face, and then the victim, who he has pinned down with a foot on his face, and another on his hand.
You can clearly hear in the background that the minor is being assaulted. At one point in the shocking footage, it appears that the minor is being electrocuted with a live wire that ignites a visible spark.
Oliver Sutherland - Charged with Kidnapping
"You came all the way from Cayo to kill me. P, I am doing live. I am a real ah*. Tell them how we have you all, p. Hands out, P. Put out your hand."
It is unclear if this demonstration of extreme, ritualistic violence is a statement of defiance to the police or a warning of similar treatment for his enemies. Whatever the reason, Sutherland, his common-law wife, and an associate are now criminally charged for this minor's unlawful detention.
Chester Williams - Commissioner of Police
"Oliver Sutherland as you would know is no stranger to the law. He's someone the police have dealt with on numerous occasions in the past. He has gone under the radar for quite some time and I listened to or what he was saying when he went live that this minor had gone to his phone with a gun to kill him. Well, our investigation so far reveals that that is not so. The minor had no gun and the minor did not go to his house to kill him, as a matter of fact, he had sent out the minor to go and buy him, some beers and when the minor came back he was not at home, the minor later returned to the area to give him what he had purchased for him and that is when the minor was pulled inside and whatever happened, happened, it is very very sad to see that a child of that age had to be put through that and what he said that the minor came from Cayo, that minor has lived right in that area for the past four months as well, so whatever it is that he was saying on his live was truly inaccurate and the police have done most of their investigations and Mr. Sutherland has since been charged with attempted murder, kidnapping and wounding, he has also been charged with being a leader of a gang, the gang task, or the Gi3 unit is also looking at additional charges for him and his associates in terms of gang related offenses and then we see where we go from there. It is a very concerning situation, how it happened and I am sure that had it not been for someone calling of loud music and the police had to respond, which allowed the child to escape that that child would have been killed."
According to police, the minor was able to escape from his captors because a law enforcement mobile showed up in the Conch Shell Bay Area to respond to reports from neighbors that Sutherland's loud music was disturbing their sleep.
But, while one group of cops came to the minor's aid, another video has surfaced in which an officer mistreated him while he was trying to make a formal report of the physical abuse he endured.
The Commissioner was critical of that officer when the press asked about it today.
Chester Williams - Commissioner of Police
"It should not be that when a victim comes to the police that the victim should come in such a way that he or she ends up being re-victimized and that is exactly what happened to that minor, having been in the hands of the police he was police must know how to talk to people, police must not always paint everybody with the same brush and particularly so when it comes to a minor who is a victim. You have to ensure that you have the right time and the right words to speak to that minor so that you do not re-traumatize or re-victimize the minor and based on that I was extremely disturbed and what makes matters worse not only did the police method of interviewing the child so utterly wrong, but the video was also leaked on social media where the whole world again got a chance to see this child going through another stage of torturing and based on that I have directed professional standards branch to investigate the conduct of the police in that matter and then the chips are going to fall where they may."
Now, you may have heard in the video where Sutherland claimed that the minor went to his house with a gun. He suggested that that minor was some sort of gunman's recruit, who came all the way from Cayo to target him. Well, residents tell us that the minor had been living in the Conch Shell Bay Area for several months and that he had been hanging out with Sutherland and his crew for some time.
The minor told police that on Friday night, hours before he was found by police being tortured, Sutherland sent him out on an errand. When he returned, he was pulled into Sutherland's house by a man he knew by nickname only. That man and Sutherland allegedly began to torture him. Police showed up at around 3 in the morning, which meant that his ordeal lasted for several hours.
This afternoon, Sutherland was first arraigned before Senior Magistrate Tricia Pitts-Anderson on the offense of being a member of a criminal gang. Due to the nature of the offense, he could not be offered bail, and so, the presiding magistrate remanded him to the Belize Central Prison until May 18.
We understand that the other charges of kidnapping, attempted murder, and wounding weren't exactly ready today, and so, he will have to be taken back to court tomorrow for another arraignment.
Two child advocacy organizations have since spoken out against the acts of violence against the 16-year-old male minor.
The National Committee of Families and Children sent out a press release today, which says, quote, "NCFC applauds the quick action of the Police Department in detaining the alleged abusers. We also acknowledge the action of the Police command in calling into account those officers who reportedly continued the abuse of the child. The Department of Human Services is engaged in ensuring the child's wellbeing.
Once again, we urge the public to refrain from sharing videos that continue to demean and humiliate our children. It is our collective responsibility as citizens, parents, neighbors, and adults, in general, to ensure that children are continuously protected from such exploitation through social media." End quote.
The National Women's Commission joined them in a statement of their own, which says, quote, "Recent postings on Facebook of persons savagely being beaten, in particular, those of a minor and a woman are repugnant. The actions of the perpetrators are strongly condemned. These gruesome acts of violence should be stopped." End quote.
