By Breaking Belize News Staff: In a significant legal turn, 48-year-old Josue Sic is a free man just in time for the holidays after High Court Justice Candace Nanton overturned his conviction and two-year prison sentence for the sexual assault of a five-year-old girl. Delivering a 27-page decision on Thursday, December 18, 2025, Justice Nanton ruled that the conviction was “unsafe,” citing critical evidentiary failures in the original trial.
The allegations stemmed from an incident on December 17, 2023, when the victim’s father reported finding Sic in bed with his three sleeping daughters. The father testified that he observed a “sticky substance” on the five-year-old’s leg and that Sic allegedly made an incriminating admission at the scene.
Sic was convicted on February 28, 2025, by then-Chief Magistrate Jayani Wegodapola and sentenced to two years in prison. He was subsequently granted a stay of execution and remained out on bail pending the outcome of his appeal.
Represented by attorney Peta-Gay Bradley, Sic challenged the conviction on six grounds. Justice Nanton found particular merit in challenges regarding the quality of evidence:
- Unverified Evidence: The court noted the trial magistrate relied on the father’s testimony regarding the substance on the child’s leg, despite a total lack of scientific verification or forensic testing.
- Procedural Errors: The judge highlighted that an alleged confession—where Sic supposedly admitted to “playing” with the child—was absent from the original trial record, the summary of facts, and even the investigating officer’s initial testimony.
- Hearsay and Burden of Proof: The appeal argued that the lower court improperly admitted hearsay medical reports and erroneously shifted the burden of proof onto Sic to prove his innocence.
Justice Nanton concluded that because the conviction was unreliable, the court did not need to assess if the two-year sentence was “unduly severe.”
“The court has found merit in grounds 2 and 5… which in its view, makes the conviction of the appellant unsafe,” the Justice stated. While the conviction and sentence have been quashed, the matter has been adjourned to a later date to determine if a retrial will be ordered. For now, both parties have been ordered to bear their own legal costs.
The post Home for the Holidays: Conviction overturned for man accused of being found in bed with 3 little girls appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
By Breaking Belize News Staff: In a significant legal turn, 48-year-old Josue Sic is a free man just in time for the holidays after High Court Justice Candace Nanton overturned his conviction and two-year prison sentence for the sexual assault of a five-year-old girl. Delivering a 27-page decision on Thursday, December 18, 2025, Justice Nanton
The post Home for the Holidays: Conviction overturned for man accused of being found in bed with 3 little girls appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.