By Belize Live News Staff: Church Senator Louis Wade says he will speak out on abuse allegations involving church leaders, but only when the facts are clear.
Wade has faced pressure from some members of the public to comment more quickly on cases, including on social media. But he says he will not respond to rumours.
He compared those rushing to judgment on unconfirmed claims to vultures waiting to pounce.
Wade said he waits for official information from police, or for victims to reach out, before commenting. In the case of Pastor Kevin Tzib, he said he spoke after Dunamis Ministries issued a press release.
He said any statement must be grounded in law and principle and must not violate the rights of either the accused or the victims.
Still, Wade acknowledged the criticism facing the church.
“We still live in a country where people expect better from the church, and I think that that is a good thing,” he said. “If people are criticizing the church at this time, it is still because they expect better. And so we need to do better in the areas that we can.”
Earlier this week, Wade said the charges against Tzib appear to be the worst allegations he has heard against a church leader, and called on churches to put protocols in place and report possible crimes to police.
