- Belizean Minister hopes for regulations to deal with social media
Cabinet Minister Henry Charles Usher says he is hoping that legislation regarding the regulation of the media in Belize “comes soon” as the fallout continues from the social media posting regarding the alleged sexual assault of two women by a prominent attorney there.
Last week, the Belize government said it was “closely monitoring” the matter” and that “the seriousness of such allegations demands a thorough and impartial investigation to ensure justice is served”.
Earlier this month, Police Commissioner Chester Williams confirmed that the attorney, who is also a member of the main opposition United Democratic Party (UDP) is assisting police investigations following the allegations made by the two women that they were sexually abused at the lawyer’s residence in Belize City during the early hours of last Friday after a night of socialising at a popular establishment.
Usher said that while Cabinet cannot influence, “in any way, if any charges will be brought against the individual” the discussion among Cabinet ministers centered more on the need to deal with “the social media blogs that are operating as though they are media outlets.
“That was the more general discussion where they have to be regulated just like any media house is regulated. These sites seem to pop up overnight. There are no regulations. They don’t seem to have any accountability to anyone.
“They publish articles, blogs, whatever you want to call them, that it seems that they are untouchable,” he said, noting that the blog showing the video from the night of the incident, “borders on witness intimidation.
“It also creates an environment where other women, other girls may not want to come forward if this happens because they fear that they might be blasted on one of these social media outlets.”
“So that’s where the discussion came out, and that’s where our Cabinet focuses on to make sure that they have some kind of regulations in place. The Belize Broadcasting Authority had created a policy last year, and it spoke about regulating these sites. We hope that the legislation comes soon,” Usher told reporters.
