Tribute to Gabriel Orellano at New Stella Maris

It’s one of the most heartbreaking stories of the year, the death of young Gabriel Orellano, an autistic student, who slipped out of the Stella Maris compound and later drowned at sea. The tragedy shook Belizeans and exposed serious gaps in safety at the nation’s only public school for children with diverse abilities. Now, as the Ministry of Education moves to rehabilitate the compound, officials say the project will not only upgrade security but also honor the child whose loss sparked public demand for an overhaul. Today, Minister Francis Fonseca shared how the government plans to memorialize Gabriel and strengthen protection for students when Stella Maris reopens its gates in 2026.

 

Francis Fonseca, Minister of Education

“Immediately we undertook a review of all of our safety features of our protocols, our safety protocols our response to these incidents. So that took place. And of course we have been, at the personal level, we’ve been working with the family to ensure certain things are in place for them. As part of the tribute when we open the building, we will dedicate a special plaque to young Gabriel when we open the building. So that’s going to be a part of this project. But safety features are critically important. That’s why an important component of this rehabilitation is new fencing for the facilities, entire facility will be properly fenced and will ensure that these students are safe in this compound.”