Ombudsman Report Finds Excessive Force in 2025 Prison Shooting

Former Ombudsman Major Gilbert Swaso says prison officers used excessive force when they shot inmate Nyere Parchue during an escape attempt in August 2025, leaving him permanently paralyzed. His report points to serious failures in the use of force, emergency medical response, and oversight at the Belize Central Prison. Swaso recommends better training, non-lethal weapons, and stronger accountability. But tonight, key questions remain: Have those reforms been carried out? And with the Ombudsman’s office vacant since December 2025, who is making sure there is follow-through? We spoke with Swaso earlier today about his findings.

 

Major Gilbert Swaso (Ret’d), Former Ombudsman

“Section thirty-nine of the Belize Central Prison Act is what they end up using that they believe give legal effect to what they consider is their legal right to shoot a prisoner who is attempting to escape. That is what the law. So the other question was then if in fact that is the case, because the Office of the Ombudsman we were of the view that while that is within the law, we believe that must be used as a last resort. And in my view the view of the investigating team, it was that at that time there were other resources and means available and the team believed that lethal force that was used was not proportionate and could have been avoided based on the circumstances that were presented in the investigation. Based on the Ombudsman Act is specific in stating that only the ombudsman can commence or initiate an investigation, only the ombudsman can complete an investigation, only the ombudsman can continue an investigation. So essentially the staff can only receive a complaint and leave it on the desk of the ombudsman and can’t do anything else with those reports. So even let’s say in this case that there was a response from Belize Central Prison, I don’t know, right? Since December thirty-first, obviously I am no longer there. But let us assume that there was a report. If in fact there was a report, they can only receive that report and place it on the the desk of the ombudsman, and they can’t do anything with it.”

 

Major Swaso says that the investigation commenced in August shortly after the incident and concluded two months later.

 

Attention readers: This online newscast is a direct transcript of our evening television broadcast. When speakers use Kriol, we have carefully rendered their words using a standard spelling system.

 

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