Child Abuse Cases in Belize Top 1,000 Each Year

Government agencies, police, and international partners have come together to launch the Blue Teddy Bear Campaign in Belize, a drive to raise awareness about child abuse and get communities involved in protecting children.

The campaign is led by the National Commission for Families and Children (NCFC) alongside UNICEF, the Ministry of Human Development, and the Police Department. It comes as child abuse cases in the country continue to rise, with more than a thousand new cases entering the system every year.

Minister of Human Development, Thea Garcia-Ramirez, said the problem is too big to ignore. “Every year we have over a thousand new cases of children that come into the system and come through our ministry,” she said. “Mostly they are victims of child abuse and neglect, and we have to stem the tide.”

Garcia-Ramirez said more people are also coming forward to report abuse, which is part of why the numbers look higher. She urged anyone with concerns to report to the ministry, police, hospitals, or schools rather than posting on social media. Girls are most affected by sexual abuse, while boys face higher rates of neglect and physical violence.

Police Superintendent Elroy Carcamo said officers are seeing children out on the streets at night doing things they should not be doing, and that reports of bullying and cyberbullying are also on the rise.

NCFC Executive Director Shakira Sutherland took aim at social media users who post the names and details of child abuse victims, saying it stops other victims from speaking up. “It is very detrimental to our children’s mental state,” she added.

NCFC Chairperson Maria Elena Contreras reminded the public that protecting children is not just a government job. “Child protection is the business of everyone in the community,” she said.