Viral Carnival Video Triggers Official Condemnation  

The video showing women gyrating in a most indecent manner on a boy during the Orange Walk carnival and had been circulated widely on social media, has triggered renewed questions about the responsibility of adults to protect children from sexual exploitation. Today, the Ministry of Religious Affairs and the Office of the Special Envoy for the Development of Families and Children issued statements expressing deep concern over inappropriate adult conduct. The ministry says, quote, Children should never be placed in situations where inappropriate sexual behavior is encouraged, normalized or presented as entertainment, regardless of the setting or occasion, end quote. Meanwhile, the Special Envoy says public celebrations and cultural events should be spaces where children can participate safely and with dignity. The office is also raising concern about the recording and sharing of such content, warning that what adults normalize, children observe and learn. The Special Envoy is encouraging parents and guardians to teach children about personal boundaries and appropriate behavior. The releases come on the heels of the National Evangelical Association of Belize’s forceful condemnation of the act, saying, quote, Carnival must clean up or shut down, end quote.

 

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