AmbergrisCaye.com Home Forums The Cayes Ambergris Caye 13 year old girl found dead, US Parents Held

And they get a police escort to the island? Have you ever seen a Belizean treated this way? Why the special treatment of a police escort? https://www.facebook.com/ambergristoday/videos/1730487506996652/

First of all, this is in no way a defense on the Doehms. But rather a defense of Belize and like countries, as opposed to totalitarian countries. Belize has a constitution the gives the presumption of innocense to individuals until proven guilty in a court of law. It also gives those same individuals the protection from violence against them.
And to your point of how Belizeans are treated, I have seen numerous articles in the press of child molestation. I have not seen any similar videos on Facebook, or in the press,showing any outrage or demonstrations against those committing these offeanses. Now granted, I am not aware of any of those resulting in the death of the children molested, but the crimes are still horrendous. And one could ask the question: "where are the demonstrations against those molesters"?
Just thoughts for contemplation.

Bywarren From my own personal experience having volunteered as a teacher in Hattieville Spending time in both max and med tangos,I can attest to many Belizeans accused of the same crime as these folks and never granted bail. They sat in Hattieville for years at time before their cases ever came to trial. And yes they do not make the news like these folks as they were locked up as soon as it was found out. These people are getting special treatment they do not deserve Sadly, as in the US, if you have the money you can get away with murder Sexual abuse of young girls is rampant in Belize.

So is your position that some peoples constitutional rights should not be protected because others are not?
Is that not an indictment on the Belize legal system by not providing legal representation by
court appointed attorneys for those who cannot afford to hire their own?
There is also the issue of even if bail is granted, they still have to have the funds to post bail.

Anke Doehm Shunned in San Pedro

Suspected child-killer Anke Doehm was in San Pedro for a couple hours this weekend, but there was no warm welcome for the once popular fashion boutique owner believed to have murdered her adopted child, Faye Lin Cannon, 13. After learning that she had left for the island via ferry from Belize City at 10:30am on Sunday, a delegation of islanders waited for her.

According to our colleagues from Ambergris Today, persons followed Anke Doehm and an unknown woman as they walked up the beach and made their way to the apartment at Grand Caribe which investigators say was the murder scene. There Doehm packed up several bags and left the island on the 4:00pm ferry. As she walked and even as she waited for the boat, several persons followed, taking pictures and videos, hurling verbal taunts and invectives at her, accusing her of murdering her own daughter.

On Friday, both Anke and David Doehm were released on bail of $10,000 each after a hearing before Justice Denis Hanomansingh. They had been denied bail at the Magistrate Court level the previous week after being arraigned for Cruelty to a Child. The DPP's Office objected to bail primarily on the grounds that the couple had no real ties to Belize and were real flight risks. Operating a business on the island at any point in the future seems unlikely, and the adoptive father of Faye Lin Cannon's three siblings (not David Doehm) has applied for custody. Still, Justice Hanomansingh granted bail and ordered that they must hand over their travel documents to the US Embassy.

While there is outrage at the couple being granted bail, there are also queries of why they were not charged for murder. When Police reported to the apartment and found the lifeless body of Faye Lin, both David and Anke were there. Investigators have claimed that the child was murdered in that apartment, by persons there. So why no murder charge?

In an interview granted after the arraignment of the couple last week, DPP Cheryl Lyn Vidal explained that before taking anybody to Court, "we have to have evidence to show that an offence has been committed and that is the person who committed the offence. Of course here it is obvious that an offence has been committed. She did not die of natural causes. According to the Forensic Examiner she died from compression to her chest that was significant enough to produce her death. So providing that the offence has been committed is not the difficult part. The difficult part is saying beyond a reasonable doubt who caused the death, who committed the offence. And that is where we are now with this investigation, trying to gather the information that would enable us to say that a particular person or more than one particular person working together brought about the death of Faye Lin. But we need to have specific evidence in relation to any person that we take before the Court. We can't say for instance that they were the adults there, they were in the home, it must be them so let us take them before the Court. That, as I'm sure you appreciate, is not how this works."

David and Anke Doehm are said to have left the island for good and we are told they will be living in Belize City until their trial.

The Belize Times

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Not getting preferential treatment, but the courts are following the law and police rendered post-hearing protective services, which this couple will need staying where they are now. The couple have lawyers to make sure of that and stay out of jail. Nothing untoward happening in this case I am aware of, other than the couple seem to have access to more $ than the average person living here and can afford lawyers, relocation, etc

No preferential treatment? How many people have you seen in Belize get a police escort to remove their belongings from the Island? To remove items from a scene of a crime no less?

There is a reason the lady holding the scales of justice is blindfolded.
Perhaps you should put your prejudice aside and be thankful Belize is a country that adheres to the principle of" innocent until proven guilty" and provides for the safety of ALL until they have their time in court.
Now if you can show incidents where the safety of Belizeans who were charged with similar crimes were not given the same protections, then that would be an indictment on Belize and its legal system, not case where others were give preferential treatment.
Belize should be complemented on how they are handling this situation, not criticized.

That is a real load of carp there! Justice is blind because it is not supposed to differentiate because of race, creed, or color or nationality. They are getting preferential treatment because of their race and nationality.