By Belize Live News Staff: Ainsley Mejia, 34, and Diego Wade, 35, walked free on Monday after the High Court discontinued rape charges against them in a case dating back to 2016. Both men were accused of sexually assaulting a Salvadoran woman on San Pedro Island almost nine years ago. The charges were dropped after the Crown entered a nolle prosequi, effectively ending the case.
Emerging from the courtroom of Justice Candace Nanton, the men denied the allegations, calling them “fabricated.” Mejia, a bartender and waiter, was represented by attorney Javier Williams, while Wade, a referee, was represented by attorney Lynden Jones.
The alleged incident occurred on August 17, 2016, when the woman reported that after accepting a drink and a ride from one of the men, they followed her to the bathroom, beat her, forced her to take cocaine, and raped her. The victim reported the assault immediately after the incident.
Despite the charges and trial proceedings in 2018, the case lingered in the courts for over eight years. With the case now discontinued, it concludes one of Belize’s longest unresolved rape cases. Both Mejia and Wade have consistently maintained their innocence throughout the legal process.
