Last night we reported on the apparent suicide of 21-year-old Mario Hernandez in Ontario Village. Today a post mortem certified that he did indeed hung himself. While that's the conclusion to the police investigation there is still an underlying story in the case. Hernandez as it turns out was a young man who grew up in foster care. While that in itself is not news, the fact that four of his other siblings are also under foster care and three of them have absolutely no documentation to prove who they are is news. Today we spoke to Reverend Ernest Tate under whose care the children have been growing up and he expressed his concerns.
Rev. Ernest Tate,
"There are four other siblings that remain behind. They are actually wards of Human Services and they have been in foster care for over ten years but one of the difficulties that we have encountered over the last couple years is that these kids have no identity. I personally had a couple from Canada that wanted to adopt thee five siblings but for the lack of a birth certificate, the lack of a nationality, these kids were not adopted except for the youngest one for which we were able to come up with a birth certificate for her.
We tried our very best. We submitted those concerns to human services and up to this day, the 21st day of June 2006. We have had no positive response. They were the wards of Human Services."
Alfonso Noble,
For how long?
Rev. Ernest Tate,
"For over ten years. For over ten years. So I personally cannot see the reason why these kids could not have been given an identity. The death of Mario, we can't go back there, but at least, and I appeal to the authorities today, don't let this man young man die in vain. Give these kids an identity. We have Angel, we have Ophelia, and we have Moses that are still here in Belize at the children's home. There is absolutely no reason why the authorities cannot give these kids a birth certificate."
Tate runs a foster home as well as a primary and secondary school in Ontario Village under his organization Belize Faith Mission Incorporated.
