A Santiago court has imposed judicial control measures on three educators connected to the tragic death of 11-year-old Stephora Anne-Mircie Joseph during a school excursion. Judge Yerixa Cabral mandated a cash guarantee of RD$500,000 (approximately USD $8,500) through an insurance provider and required regular court check-ins for defendants Yris del Carmen Reyes Adames, Francisca Josefina Tavárez Vélez, and Vilma Altagracia Vargas Morel.
In a contrasting decision, the court granted unconditional release to Gisela González, director of Leonardo Da Vinci Institute, citing absence of direct evidentiary connection to the incident. Legal representative María del Pilar Zuleta affirmed her client’s physical absence during the occurrence, characterizing the judicial determination as “aligned with principles of justice.”
The Public Prosecutor’s Office, operating through PEPCA (Specialized Prosecutor’s Office for Administrative Corruption), has declared its intention to file an immediate appeal against the ruling. Prosecutor Olga Dina Llaverías publicly criticized the preventive measures as disproportionately lenient relative to case severity, confirming formal challenge proceedings upon official notification.
Defense counsel for the accused teachers, led by attorney Lorenzo Fermín, committed to full compliance with judicial requirements while acknowledging the profound emotional dimensions of the case. Legal representatives extended sympathies to the grieving family while maintaining their clients’ dedication to judicial transparency and factual clarification throughout investigative proceedings.