On Tuesday, August 9th, a 26-year-old San Pedro man named Justin Casanova was arrested and charged with three counts of Unlawful Sexual Intercourse. The police say that a 14-year-old female minor in the company of her mother made the report. According to the official report, in June of this year, the minor became acquainted with Casanova. In mid-July and on the 5th of August, she visited him at his house, where they had sexual intercourse.
The report did not explain if any investigations were done or what evidence was presented at the time of the report. Casanova, however, was detained and later charged.
The Laws of Belize regarding this offense
The Belize Criminal Code (Amendment) Act 2013, under Code Six, says every person who, with or without consent, has sexual intercourse with a person who is under the age of 14 commits the offense of unlawful sexual intercourse and is liable on conviction on indictment to imprisonment for a term that is not less than 12 years but may extend to imprisonment for life.
Another section of that clause also notes that every person who has unlawful sexual intercourse with a person who is above the age of fourteen years but under the age of 16 commits an offense and is liable on conviction on indictment to imprisonment for a term that is not less than five years but no more than ten years.
In the case of a person who is charged with a crime under that subsection who is under the age of 18, the presence of reasonable cause to believe that that other person was above the age of 16 shall be a valid defense on the first occasion on which such an accused person is charged with such a crime.
In Belize, the legal age of consent is 16. However, many believe that this age should be raised to 18.
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