Belize police have launched an investigation after Ulysease Roca, a 25-five-year-old fashion designer, was found dead inside his house in Willows Bank, Belize District on Sunday.
Police say Roca’s death is under investigation because of the circumstances.
Roca was gay and an HIV patient, two issues that made him a target for threats and bullying.
Just before his demise, he posted on social media that he had suffered a beating at the hands of the police when he was picked up for violating curfew regulations.
The allegations against the police for abuse are well-known so Roca’s family appealed for a post-mortem to be conducted to determine his case of death.
According to United Belize Advocacy Movement’s (UNIBAM)Executive Director Caleb Orosco, it is not the first time that the police department has demonstrated difficulty in dealing with someone with a mental health issue.
Back in 2019, a mentally ill patient was murdered by another inside a police cell when officers on duty breached protocol.
Most recently, police officers coerced a mentally challenged woman and a man to perform a sexual act.
Those officers have since been charged for a crime.
