Will Businessman Be Charged for Assaulting Minor?

On Monday, a video circulated online showing a shop owner physically assaulting a teenage boy accused of stealing. The footage sparked heated debate over discipline and child protection.

According to Kaieteur News, the incident occured at a supermarket on Guyana’s East Coast of Demerara after allegedly attempting to steal items. In the footage, the young man admits to the theft, saying he planned to sell the items to buy food because he was hungry. The Chinese man, believed to be the store owner, is seen repeatedly kneeing and slapping him while condemning theft. It remains unclear where the incident occurred, whether it was reported to police, or if any action has been taken by authorities.

Many viewers sided with the shop owner, arguing that if a child is not disciplined at home, he will find it elsewhere. Others were sharply critical, pointing out that the boy is legally a child and that what the video shows is an adult beating a minor.

While the incident occurred in another Caribbean country, the online debate among Belizeans was robust.

The Ministry of Human Development, Family Support and Gender Affairs weighed in on this issue today. CEO Adele Catzim‑Sanchez told News 5 violence against children should not be condoned under any circumstances. She said shop owners should call police and preserve video evidence rather than taking matters into their own hands. “What I’m saying is that we have to have options that go beyond violence,” she said.

Catzim‑Sanchez noted that videos often show only part of an incident and added that there are programmes available to address youth behaviour without resorting to violence.

She said in Belize, through the Community Rehabilitation Department, young people can be referred to prevention and mentorship programmes, either by police diversion or court diversion, depending on the circumstances. “Our philosophy is that incarceration or institutionalisation should be an action of last resort,” she said.

Responding to arguments that physical discipline has always been part of raising children, Catzim-Sanchez said it is time to move past that reflex.

She acknowledged that shop owners have every right to protect their property but said the long-term investment should be in prevention programmes, not in responding to situations with force.

This article was updated at 5:09pm