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The tragic and deeply troubling circumstances of her death have outraged the San Pedro community and today townspeople came out in front of the police station to protest. Daniel Ortiz was there:

Daniel Ortiz reporting
Residents of San Pedro gathered outside of the Island Police Station to protest the murder of 13 year-old Faye Lin Cannon. They considered the teenager one of the island's precious children who needed protection. And when they learned how she died, they organized an impromptu demonstration.

Unfortunately, they did not get a police permit, and so this was an illegal gathering. And even though it was against the law, they still used it as a release valve for the rage at the innocent child's death.

Chris Burkey - San Pedro Resident
"We filled the paperwork, so we will have a bigger one tomorrow at the central park. It's a touchy subject we don't want to affect the investigation. But we need some help out here. This child could have been saved. 13 years old with broken ribs and a fractured skull, after 3 and half years with trying to work with the social worker out here. So something got to change."

Michelle Huber - San Pedro Resident
"We are crying and the island is hurt, because we don't do that to kids. We came out all in disarray. Didn't know what to do, just maybe here we would alleviate some pain that we are feeling."

And this community says that they did not stand by and just watched that abuse unfolding. They say that they reported it to the Social worker here on the island, but their concerns - they say - fell on deaf ears.

Michelle Huber - San Pedro Resident
"For the past 3 years this island has cried on deaf ears."

Susana Eiley - San Pedro Resident
"It is so disturbing. This child seem to have been abused over countless numbers of years. It has been reported to the police officers. It has been reported to the US Embassy and nothing was actually done."

Golda Swift - Teacher, San Pedro
"I have been a social service on this island for over 20 plus years and I did report this case 3 years to him, about the abuse. Because there was some American couple that were staying downstairs where the kids were living and they say those kids cry whole night screaming, you hear beating, you hear cursing, you hear everything."

"I made it my own point to call the American Embassy and I told them that these people are Americans and they have these children and I am seeing what going on - they are cutting their hair. The sun hits on that side, the kids are under here by the town board hiding outside with their books studying like this. They get tired with one foot and they put another foot and that is not the way we were raised. My mom raised 12 and more than 12 set at her table and that's not the way."

"I went for the social worker and after he finish I say what happened, he says everything is okay. The beds are clean, they got food and they got everything. That's where it stays. I say please go upstairs where the social worker have his office, try find him and tell him, because I have already done my best."

"Lunch time she feeds them bread with water on the beach. So the community start doing things about this and nothing happened. We called the social worker because I have a restaurant in front of town. Our town board is right in front there and nothing is ever done and this is a crying shame, because we cried. They have move from apartment to apartment, because the same people from the community have heard how these kids cry."

Reporter
"You feel that this particular case with Faye could have been avoided?"

Golda Swift - Teacher, San Pedro
"It could have been. It hurts me because I came from a family of adopted kids. I am an adopted parent."

And with so much scorn and hate being heaped onto the social worker, we thought it only fair to hear his perspective on what interventions he tried to make on behalf of these kids.

Unfortunately, he was not there, and although the sign says that the Human Development office is open for business, no one answered even though we knocked and shouted at the window and the door for a very long time.

To hear it told from his harshest critics from today, this office either fails - or is simply unable - to do enough for the island communities of San Pedro and Caye Caulker.

Reporter
"Do you feel we as a community failed these kids especially Faye?"

Michelle Huber - San Pedro Resident
"We didn't act as a community. We didn't failed. But it fall on deaf ears. If the authorities, the social worker - if it's too much work for him, 20,000 and 15,000 in Caye Caulker - change him. Because we in the community of San Pedro we are tired of seeing this uniform people. By Friday right now most of the office are closed, because they go back to Belize. Everything is paid for them and how about us. Now we need license to stand up here peacefully. Do you see anything wrong with these people?"

And these residents say that Faye and her adopted siblings are not the only children who are at risk of molestation and abuse. They say that they know of more kids who need help.

Golda Swift
"Myself was in a situation of a physical molestation that was taken place. The child confided in me, I reported it to my administration, their words were Ms. Golda that is a Pandora box, might as well you leave it there."

Virginia Wallace - San Pedro Resident
"Our island really needs a place for the children. I really feel they need that kind of help, because there are lots of frustrated children in this island being hurt, not only hurt, but there are mothers that are dealing with children that they need help."

Susana Eiley - San Pedro Resident
"In one way it's a little bit too late because a little angel has die, passes away and we didn't need that. But I think that the group of us will organize - we are going to be checking, we are going to be our own police and I hope somebody of law would help us. If they don't help us, we are going to go to Belmopan. We are going to go somewhere for help. If the police or the social service does not want to help us, we are going to go crying to Belmopan."

Faye Lin's mother Anke Doehm was taken before the San Pedro Magistrate this evening to answer to an application from the prosecution. The Government is seeking to take custody of her three surviving children at this time. It was a closed door hearing, and so we were unable to find out if the Government was successful in this application.

Police believe they have sufficient evidence to charge the couple for causing Faye Lin's death - but the Department's legal expert has advised them to gather more statements before bringing charges. But because investigators were unable to charge today, the couple could be released tomorrow, since their 48 hours of detention will have expired. But, we are told police plan to bring a lesser charge before that so they can hold them until Monday when additional, more serious charges will be brought.

Now, as we noted, Faye Lin had three sisters - all adopted by the couple from different families in China. Faye Lin was the second oldest. Information to 7News is that evidence gathered suggests strongly that two of the other girls were also molested. Tonight they are in the care of the Human Services Department in concert with the US Embassy.