But, right now, advocates say Belize's women need more than prayer to get out of a dangerous spiral of ever escalating violence.
There's a lot of blame to go around from the police, to the courts, to the schools and clinics, to society itself.
But an unusually pointed attack came this week form special envoy Rossana Briceno's office - and it was supported by the UDP's senator, Sheena Pitts.
Tonight, they aid us to look at the social context for the recent femicides:
In the early hours of this morning, a brutal femicide was carried out, taking a mother's life and injuring her teenage daughter.
It's the fifth femicide in the past 3 weeks. Earlier this month, we saw the murders of Shaniele Faber - who was found stuffed in a barrel - and Keira Gentle - who was shot and killed by her ex boyfriend in a murder suicide. Then at the start of this week, Angelita Magana and her 17 year old daughter Shadia Magana were set on fire.
It's a war on women and young girls and UDP Senator Sheena Pitts said that the response to the deaths of these women isn't enough.
Sheena Pitts, UDP Senator
"We are doing nothing in an interwoven way to address gender based violence from the beginning. We're only responding. And our response so far is to decry it. Our response so far is to remember our names. Our response so far is to say, at least the bloody man dead. Are those responses meant to address gender based violence?"
"As a practitioner, I have had to go to the courts for restraining orders. And unfortunately, I will tell you when it has to do with out district. Only certain days the magistrate work weh could deal with that matter. And when you're dealing with a victim who is traumatized, seeking professional help, to be able to go in that court to ask for the very restraining order, we get a jurist who does not understand the policy behind taking a no tolerance to gender based violence."
But it's not just the courts - the Office of the Special Envoy issued a scathing press release condemning the police department for failing particularly in the case of Magana and her children. That release states, quote, "The Office... has conducted several trainings on gender-based violence for both police and military officers across Belize... Yet, we are deeply frustrated that, despite all the sessions, despite all the training, some officers and institutions still do not fully understand the most basic part of their job: to protect those who cannot protect themselves." End quote.
The release then asks for immediate accountability and advises survivors of domestic violence to reach out to the Minister of Home Affairs, Kareem Musa, or the ComPol, Richard Rosado.
But when we put the release to Staff Officer ASP Stacy Smith, she disagreed with where the blame should be placed.
ASP Stacy Smith, Staff Officer
"I believe that clarity needs to be had as to the extent of police's interactions with Ms Magana. I can categorically say that no report was made by Ms Magana at the time or leading up to that incident. The extent of Ms Magana's interaction with the police based on interviews that were conducted with the officers in that location shows that Ms Magana visited the station and asked for advice should Mr Godoy interfere with her. She was advised that if that should happen she should make a report to the police, she should also go to the Magistrates Court to obtain a restraining order and she should also visit the office of the DPP and advise them that he was in breach of the conditions of his bail. So the circumstance at hand, I need to reiterate categorically that absolutely no report was made. Had Ms Magana made a report, the course of action would have certainly followed. Ms Magana in the past have made two reports and all of those reports were acted upon so I don't believe if Ms Magana would have made a report a different course of action would have been taken."
She added that since Magana's death, several DV survivors have gone to make reports, some dated back to three months ago. And now the department is working on a way to make reporting these incidents much easier:
ASP Stacy Smith, Staff Officer
"The department is currently in the process of having a one stop building which would include all the sources that a survivor of domestic violence needs so that means it will have human services, it will have the ministry of health, ministry of education, it will have medical services as well as the police officers there and the objective of this is to ensure that when a situation happens, the person only needs to go to one location to access all that they need. I've been advised that we've already secured a promise for financing for that building, the location has already been identified and what has delayed the process is the drafting of the structure of the building in such a way that it achieves what is sought to be achieved by it."
"If ever you would have made a report and you believe the actions that were taken by the officers was not as prompt as you want or not to your desire, you can always place a call to the office of the Commissioner of Police."
That extraordinary release from the special envoy also says, quote, "We also face the troubling reality of domestic violence hotlines and 911 operators that often go unanswered; essential lifelines where those in need are left hanging. It's disheartening to consider that these phone operators sometimes neglect the calls of vulnerable individuals." END QUOTE. We note 911 is a police operated service.
