Bradley spoke further on the 13-year-old SOE detainee. He characterized it as inhumane and stated that Belize is "gone" if that is the way children are being treated. He believes the child shouldn't have been locked up in the first place, but states that he should be taken out of Wagner's immediately.
Richard "Dickie" Bradley, Attorney
"I heard the Minister responsible for social services and women and presumably children say last night that after they finish doing an investigation then- my god, take the little boy out of jail right now and house him in some youth facility until you can straighten out the matter. Like they have no empathy, no feeling for what they are doing."
Reporter:
"I asked the prime minister on July 16th about a minor being detained under the SOE and he said, what else can we do? Now, the commissioner of police, in relation to place that minor at a youth facility said we've thought of that, we've looked at that but he might influence the other youths there negatively, what do you say to that?"
Richard "Dickie" Bradley, Attorney
"I would say that is an example of the persons around the prime minister offering him bad advice. It's not for the prime minister to be knowledgeable of everything going on in the country but there are persons who are specifically charged and paid to be responsible. The Minister of Police and the Minister of Human Development, Human Development that is the ministry? Because the is inhumane development that is taking place. They say to the prime minister, PM we don't want him in youth hostel because of so and so, what is the prime minister to do, the prime minister needs someone to tell him, PM, instruct them to take him out of jail right now and put him so and so. You can even put that child, that is not acceptable, it's not acceptable for the Commissioner of Police. We in this country, we are apart of the regional and international community of nations. We have a responsibility to look after children, if we are treating children like that, then we are gone."
7News has confirmed that UNICEF has taken an active interest in the case and has been speaking with key government officials. The child's attorney Leslie Mendez has pointed out, his detention is in direct conflict with multiple international human rights conventions, more notably the Convention of the Rights of the Child, to which Belize is a signatory.
The CEO of the Prison today told us that the child's not in the "hole" as Mendez alleges - but he is in protective custody at the Wagner's Youth Facility.
