And turning now to much more sombre news, the trial of Kareem Martinez in the manslaughter of Laddie Gillette is set to start on Monday, January 23rd.
It's an opportunity for the long-awaited chance at justice that the Bradley family who had fostered Laddie, and the Justice for Laddie Foundation set up in his memory have waited almost two years for.
And this morning Laddie's foster Dad Emil Bradley sat down with our Sunup hosts to bring awareness to the trial and also to thank the public for the outpouring of support that he and his family have experienced crossed these many many months. He says that his hope is that no Belizean parent should ever have to feel the pain of losing a child at the hands of the police.
Emil Bradley, Laddie's Father
"It's the first trial so we will see where it ends up but I just want to thank the public for all the support that they have been giving to the family, you know, the foundation and everything and like Demmy clearly stated it's not only for Laddie but this incident has helped for other people who have experienced something similar to this, something that, how would I say it, we have another two cases like I heard this guy Marshall and the guy Uh. We wouldn't want, it's not a nice feeling for anyone any parent to feel and we are not here to condemn the police but sometimes when things happen that's why, you know where you are faltering and this is one of it and I'm so glad about the support and everything that we could bring it to light and we could get other people involved other youths who have been victims and parents who have been victims of the same thing, police abuse. So, we have been seeing progress so far. Mr Musa and the curriculum that they have implemented with human rights and all that. So we have seen changes. So, the cause that we are fighting for it's working and we see that it's turning things around."
"Everything, I mean every day reminds you of him because he was so a part of the family but we are starting to accept that he is not here, he can't come back but you know this is what is giving us hope to fight and to make changes within the community and the like so this is our home by making positive change with what had occurred so that other people don't experience the same thing that we are going through."
"There will never be justice because life cannot come back with changes, I mean satisfactory changes would be good enough so that is what we are fighting for. We will hear the first trial which is like I said the 23rd and we will see where we move on from there."
"Like I said it won't be real justice but I think in this case, the government if we are really serious about fighting crime and we don't want things to occur then we need at some point o start and make an example of one of them and I think this is the time."
The Justice for Laddie Foundation has said that they are completely against a lesser plea of manslaughter by negligence for Kareem Martinez citing that such a charge merely carries a fine. They believe that Laddie's life was worth much more than any fine.
