SANTIAGO, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC – Disturbing surveillance footage has ignited public fury and triggered a criminal investigation following the drowning death of 11-year-old Stephora Anne-Mircié Joseph during a school-organized excursion to Hacienda Los Caballos. The video evidence, described by legal representatives as profoundly harrowing, depicts the child’s desperate struggle for survival in an unmarked deep section of a pool while other children present failed to alert adults.
Legal representatives for the grieving family revealed that approximately six children witnessed Stephora’s distress as she entered a sudden drop-off in the pool. According to attorney Miguel Díaz, who addressed reporters this week, “Multiple children stood directly in front of Stephora as she began to sink, pointing at her while she drowned. Rather than raising an alarm, they remained silent and eventually moved to another area of the pool after she submerged.”
The footage reportedly shows a critical time lapse between when Stephora became submerged and when adults eventually intervened. This delay has become a central focus of the investigation into whether systematic failures and adult negligence contributed to the tragedy.
Authorities have responded by detaining four employees associated with the Instituto Integral de Educación Leonardo Da Vinci. Prosecutors have requested precautionary measures including financial guarantees and electronic monitoring devices for the accused individuals. Court proceedings regarding coercive measures have been temporarily postponed at the request of defense attorneys while the investigation continues alongside forensic and audiovisual analyses.
The case has ignited nationwide discourse concerning safety standards for school-organized activities. Community leaders and parents are demanding stricter enforcement of supervision ratios, enhanced safety protocols, and more rigorous vetting of excursion sites for children. Investigators are examining whether the outing complied with existing safety regulations, though neither the school nor the facility operators have publicly disclosed their safety procedures.
The family’s legal team continues to push for complete, unedited access to all surveillance materials as the investigation progresses.