George Street associate Ronlee Petillo freed from rape charge, but remains in custody

Posted: Wednesday, September 18, 2024. 6:29 pm CST.

By Breaking Belize News Staff: Ronlee Petillo, a well-known associate of the George Street area, has been freed from a rape charge, but remains in custody following other legal matters. On Monday, September 16, 2024, the rape charge against him was discontinued after the victim, a 25-year-old woman, refused to testify in the case.

Petillo had been accused of raping the woman in December 2022. When the case was brought before Justice Derick Sylvester in the High Court, the victim took the stand and expressed her unwillingness to proceed, leading the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to drop the case through a nolle prosequi ruling.

The prosecution had been prepared to start the trial, but without the cooperation of the victim, it could not proceed, as rape cases rely heavily on victim testimony.

Although Petillo was cleared of the rape allegation, he remains in police custody due to another pending case and is subject to a State of Emergency (SOE) order. This is not Petillo’s first brush with the law; he has faced several charges over the years, including murder, but has avoided convictions.

Previous charges of aggravated assault with a firearm and theft, involving the same victim, were also dismissed when the woman failed to appear in court to testify.

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