Magistrate Norman Rodriguez is expected to be charged for rape on Wednesday in Belize City Magistrate's Court. He will appear before the Chief Magistrate after which he is expected to be bailed and go through the regular court process.
But, so far, it has been anything but regular for a rape that allegedly occurred on April 11th in Dangriga and was reported five days later. Police and the DPP's office have been back and forth with the file and the directive to charge came down last week. Magistrate Rodriguez was out of the country at the time, but he returned over the weekend and went to work at the Belize City court as usual this morning. He also dealt with cases in his courtroom number three, as usual. He may have a very large cloud of suspicion hanging over his head, but Rodriguez who has declined an on camera interview, told one of the court reporters that he did not rape anyone and that is why he is holding his head high at work.
But in Dangriga, his accuser says she has been ruined. Today she granted 7News an interview and told Courtney Weatherburne her story.
Now, we stress we cannot disclose her identity because its a rape case, so we have blurred her face and altered her voice. Here's what she told Courtney Weatherburne this afternoon starting with the important background to the story: that she and the magistrate had a prior relationship - she told Courtney what that was like:...
Voice of: Rape Victim
"I was with him like 6 months."
Courtney Weatherburne, 7News
"How was that relationship with him?"
Voice of: Rape Victim
"Well I know because with him uhm, he was work then when he comes home from work he goes straight to Facebook and on weekends I come down to my mom so I don't know because I just went there because he said he would help me look for a job in Belize, help me get a job in Belize City and I was staying in the other room and then...yeah."
Courtney Weatherburne, 7News
"So it wasn't really a good relationship?"
Voice of: Rape Victim
"No."
Courtney Weatherburne, 7News
"But in that relationship, he never, he was never abusive or anything like that whether it's physically, emotionally or sexually?"
Voice of: Rape Victim
"Well when I was there then he end up, we were together and so and like when he comes home he goes straight on his Facebook and he like the net, so he goes to the Facebook and like 10:00, 11:00, 1:00 so when he ready to have sex then he will come wake me up, pinch up me, my legs were black and blue because he pinch up me to have sex."
Courtney Weatherburne reporting
That relationship ended 5 years ago, but for this young woman, these experiences that she had living with Magistrate Norman Rodriguez could never prepare her."
For what allegedly happened in the downstairs of his house in Dangriga on the morning of Tuesday April 11th. She is claiming that Rodriguez raped her. Her claim is that Rodriguez called her that Tuesday morning and her that he wanted to talk. She thought it was about her brother's court case but according to her, he had other things on his mind.
Voice of: Rape Victim
"When I reached there he was there already, and he took off his shirt already, he opened the gate and I went in and when I went in I sat down and then he come and then he told me, uhm, he say come here, I say I no want sex. Then he tell me put down your phone so I put down my phone and when I put down my phone then he hold my hand and then he pull me toward he and he try kiss me and when he try kiss me I try turn my head."
But she couldn't get away and Rodriguez took her into the room.
Voice of: Rape Victim
"He try take off my pants, but I hold my belt buckle and then because he had his hand because you see he is a big man so he had his hand on one of my hands and he try with one of his next hand and still is trying to hold down my next hand too and from there he did it."
Courtney Weatherburne, 7News
"He raped you."
Voice of: Rape Victim
"Yes ma'am."
"When he was on me I wanted to shove him off like push him or do something so he just goes off of me but then when I say uhm think about it I say he used to always tell me he is a magistrate now and nobody can't do him anything not even the police could do him anything."
That's one of the reasons she didn't speak out, she thought her side of the story wouldn't matter and that her voice would be drowned out by Rodriguez's, She felt helpless and alone. What makes it more difficult for her in this time is that her own family is against her.
Voice of: Rape Victim
"He bought over my family right now none of my family talks to me, absolutely none, he wants to build house for my mom, give my brother jobs so nobody talks to me."
"I didn't expect it out of him, I didn't expect any of this out of him, I don't want to ruin nobody's life, he done ruin my life now."
Although Rodriguez will be charged later this week, she says nothing will erase such a sickening experience.
Voice of: Rape Victim
"I feel a little good but right now if I even feel good that still can't being back what happen to me and I will always live with that now."
Again, those are the allegations. Rodriguez says he's innocent and falsely accused - and that her family knows that she was on a mission to destroy his good name. He appears in court on Wednesday where he is expected to be represented by Herbert Panton. Rodriguez recently returned from Dangriga where he was assigned to deal with cases in that municipality.
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