November 25 saw the launch of 16 Days of Activism against Gender Based Violence. While there are organizations such as the National Women's Commission and the Youth Enhancement Services who work tirelessly to raise awareness about domestic violence, they can't be in the kitchens and the bedrooms when violence erupts.

Courtney Menzies takes a look back at some of the women who have become victims to their violent partners.

A woman somewhere in the world has just been beaten by her husband. It was not the first time he has done it, and it probably won't be the last. She is thinking to herself that she needs to escape the relationship, but does not know how. Perhaps this woman is your co-worker, or your neighbour, or even your sister.

This is the reality of many women in Belize. Most recently, a 28-year-old mother of one was found partially nude at the dump site in San Pedro Town. Her body bore a single gunshot wound to her head. The prime suspect? Her husband, who had a licensed firearm in his possession.

Reporter

"Any idea why Miss Marisela is dead today sir?"

Supt. Alejandro Cowo - Head CIB Belize City

"Well that is something that we are trying to ascertain from the husband, who is being interviewed at this time."

Reporter

"The husband is detained. Are you able to say if he is the prime suspect in what transpired?"

Supt. Alejandro Cowo - Head CIB Belize City

"Based on our investigations we believe that he might be one of the persons as police also conducted an investigation and made checks at the residence and on a vehicle where possible blood trails are observed. Hence the reason he was detained."

Her husband, David Gonzalez, was later charged for the crime, and her young daughter left without both her parents.

31-year-old American National, Arianna Jones was also a domestic violence casualty. Jones had moved to Cayo and made Belize her home. She married - and later divorced - a Belizean man, and then began dating another.

But none of her friends could have guessed her new boyfriend, 23-year-old Javan Moody, would be responsible for her death.

At least, until that night in February when they were heard arguing in Jones' apartment.

Darielli Groutsche - Friend of Deceased

"They said that they were upstairs having a talk with each other and they heard a noise and he says it sounded horrible but that when he said to shush and he tried to hear the sound that it cut off right then so he didn't hear anything else and then that her vehicle drove off shortly right after because he would have felt a way about it if the vehicle didn't start. He thought that she left the house."

But it was not her driving the vehicle, because she had already been stabbed several times.

Instead, Moody drove to the police station - completely ignoring the hospital right next door. He told police he found Jones dead, but later officers discovered his bloody clothes that he tried to discard.

Another woman who was viciously stabbed to death was 34-year-old Anita Pineda. She was killed on New Years Day back in 2019 by her ex-common law husband.

Without any words, the ex, Ruben Cassasola grabbed her as she was going to a house party and stabbed her multiple times - all in front of her mother. Her last words were for her mother to take care of her children.

Pineda's brother said that the couple had a history of abuse.

Luis Flores - Brother of Deceased

"Every time when he gets drunk, it's a problem he makes and from then she took out a restraining order against him. From then he hasn't been to the back there."

Reporter

"How long have they been together?"

Luis Flores

"A couple years. For them to have those three kids, from nine, seven and five. That's a lot of years."

Reporter

"And throughout that relationship, he abused her, you'd say?"

Luis Flores

"From then. From then I knew him to have problems with her. He always made issues."

Another woman who left her husband after years of abuse was 41-year-old Geraldine Flowers. Flowers was at her Dangriga home getting ready for work when her ex, Rodwell Arzu, showed up and they got into an argument. Arzu fatally shot her, and then turned the gun on her cousin who was staying with her at the time.

Reports are that Arzu felt jealous, believing that Reid was Flowers' new partner. But her sister denied that claim and said that Flowers had faced years of abuse before getting the strength to leave for the sake of her kids.

Desiree Jones- Sister of Deceased

"My sister, she experienced so many types of abuse. She tried to come out, she tried her best to get out of it and just when she decide enough was enough and she was not going to take him back, he decided if I can't have you, no one else will and what makes me so angry is the fact that he was living with someone else."

30-year-old Josephine Hamilton faced a similar situation, and tried to leave as well, but her common-law husband killed her before she got the chance.

PC Steve Ferguson pulled out his firearm in November 2018 and fatally shot her in their PG home before turned the gun on himself - right in front of their children.

Jules Vasquez

"What was the trigger for this horrible event?"

Stacey Perez - Sister of Deceased

"That he mussy hurt her, she probably told him since you want to be that kind of person I will leave. All I could say that is what happened yesterday night. She must have wanted to leave at that time or already packed and he already knew about it."

Of course, these are only a few of the women who have been lost to domestic violence. And yet, there are so much more who are faced with abuse in their daily lives.

Haven House is one of the shelters in Belize where battered women can seek refuge. They can find out more from the Women's Department or the police's Domestic Violence Unit.