Belize City man Pleaded Guilty to Abducting 5-Year-Old Girl

Belize: A Belize City man pleaded guilty to the charge of abducting a 5 year old girl from her home yard in May 2024. The suspect has been identified as  37-year old Kareem Hamilton, while the identity of the victim has not been released to protect the child’s privacy as the investigations and court proceedings continue.

On Monday, Kareem Hamilton appeared before Justice Nigel Pilgrim and changed his plea to guilty. He has been sent back to the Belize Central Prison as he awaits his sentence. The court will pass judgment in his case on December 9, 2025. His lawyer, Dr Lynden Jones, will present mitigation arguments before his sentencing.

The incident took place on May 16, 2024. The 5-year old girl was playing in her yard with a 7-year old boy. Hamilton entered the yard without permission, picked up the child and started walking away.

The little boy ran back home and told the girl’s mother what had transpired. When her mother came out she saw that Hamilton had gone down the street with her daughter. The suspect said that the child was his niece and refused to return her. The girl began to cry as her mother tried to get her back.

Neighbors reported hearing sounds which prompted them to come over and help. They got the girl away from Hamilton and out of his grasp. Local authorities were immediately called and Hamilton was arrested by the police. In December 2024, Hamilton was legally charged and brought to trial for kidnapping. This week he pleaded guilty. 

Netizens are urging the police to punish the suspect severely. One of the locals shared on Facebook, “Let him show some kind of identification to state if the child was his niece or not he needs to be charged for kidnapping.”