E. says that people rarely report these cases because criminals have long memories and do not hesitate to seek reprisals.
Professor Gurule noted that threats and intimidation against victims and witnesses do long-term damage. As he explained:“What ends up happening, a witness is hurt, or a victim is killed in a particular case, that has a ripple effect with respect to other witnesses, other victims in other cases. They are going to say, ‘look what happened to that person over there; tha tcould happen to me, so I’m not going to testify’.”
Sometimes, the number of appeals that a defendant can introduce, or the possibility of being released on bail, return certain high-profile criminals to the streets. In the case of Suzenne Martinez, the suspect had been released on bail in a rape case in Belmopan.
One police officer in Cayo described the appeal proces s frustrating because it gives serious criminals the opportunity of release on bail. Others claim that weak investigations, caused by a lack of forensic resources, are to blame for acquittals or lenient treatment of criminals in courts.
