7 News Belize

Coast Guard Speaks Out Against Domestic Abusers
posted (February 21, 2018)
Hermelinda Pinks Emanuel was killed on Saturday in what appears to be a domestic homicide. Her husband Jason Emanuel is believed to have killed her and then himself. Her family has been speaking up about their abusive relationship - but today representatives of the place where she worked also spoke up strongly. That's the Belize Coast Guard where she was a highly respected administrative assistant. She juggled responsibilities both in logistics and administration. One persons who worked close with her was Commander Elton Bennett and today she spoke up boldly for her and against domestic abusers:...

Elton Bennett- Belize Coast Guard Commander
"The Coast Guard strongly condemns the actions taken by Jason Emanuel against his wife, not only as an organization but myself as a man. And any man standing out there across Belize, anyone who dares support or dare to stand by his actions and try to throw the blame elsewhere is doing serious injustice to the family structure and doing serious injustice to women in this country. We strongly condemn any act of domestic violence. We think it is time that men stand up for your relatives, stand up for your coworker. You see Jules, quite often we put the responsibility on women to walk out of that relationship. What about us intervening as men, what about you standing up for the couple that lives next door to your friend and letting him know that you will not tolerate that and you will not stand by. It could be someone at your work, it could be someone that lives in the neighborhood, it could be a family member but you as a man should stand up and do what you need to do to condemn that action. And I think that it is time for us as men to stand up and start acting as though we are real men and start standing up for women instead of beating them."

Jules Vasquez - Reporter
"Do you feel you should have stepped in?"

Elton Bennett
"I did. As a matter of fact, the counseling session that they went through were councilors that I, because I was close to both of them, we were able to get those same councilors whom I had known before to get involved and to go through those counseling sessions. And I saw it work to a certain extent. So, yes and knowing what I know now, if I could have been a little more forceful, standing on the side and giving advice perhaps is not enough."

Jules Vasquez
"You need to make an intervention at some point."

Elton Bennett
"I should have grabbed Jason by the collar and let him know that, listen, your actions and attitude towards your wife is not what is expected of a man."

Jules Vasquez
"From your knowledge of this relationship, do you know what might have been the trigger for Saturdays violent and murderous explosion of rage and whatever else factored into it?"

Elton Bennett
"I do not think that there was a trigger. I honestly do believe that it was building up over time and it's probably something that was planned over a period of time that lead to that incident. But I don't think or could have seen what could have triggered him to pull a gun on his wife when she was in her bed sleeping."

Next week, the Coast Guard will have sessions to discuss creating more opportunities for women within their ranks.

Home | Archives | Downloads/Podcasts | Advertise | Contact Us

7 News Belize