Four school workers detained after death of Haitian girl on school outing in Dominican Republic
Staff members from Instituto Leonardo Da Vinci were taken into custody accused of involuntary manslaughter over the death of an 11-year-old pupil during an outing organised by the institution.
Four school workers detained after death of Haitian girl on school outing in Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic's Public Ministry arrested four members of Instituto Leonardo Da Vinci, located in Santiago, as part of an investigation into the death of Stephora Anne-Mircie Joseph, a Haitian 11-year-old pupil who died during a school outing on 14 November.
The persons in custody are administrative director Yris del Carmen Reyes Adames; general coordinator Gisela González; counsellor Francisca Josefina Tavarez Vélez; and secondary coordinator Vilma Altagracia Vargas Morel. All were charged with involuntary manslaughter due to alleged "extreme negligence".
The group of minors was taken to Hacienda Los Caballos with only three adults responsible for 87 pupils. Authorities state that there were no water safety equipment available and it was not verified whether participants could swim. Furthermore, no safety protocol had been drawn up for the activity. Surveillance recordings showed minimal supervision in the pool area where the incident occurred.
A preliminary forensic report by the Ministry of Public Health concluded that the minor died from mechanical asphyxiation caused by water inhalation. The length of time she spent under the surface and the reasons why no adult acted to help her have not yet been determined.
The victim's mother, Lovelie Raphaël Joseph, stated that she initially received a call informing her that her daughter was unwell. Subsequently, a WhatsApp message asked her to go to the ranch. When she arrived, there were no pupils or staff from the school, only police officers and a lawyer from the institution. It was a uniformed officer who ultimately informed her of the news of the death.
After several weeks of complaints from the family, human rights organisations and Haitian officials, magistrate Yeni Berenice Reynoso instructed on 28 November that the investigation be expedited. She appointed prosecutors Wilson Camacho and Olga Diná Llaverías to lead the case. Similarly, the Ministry of Education was asked to conduct a review of the safety conditions at the educational centre.
The four accused must present themselves before the courts in Santiago while evidence is being consolidated. To date, the school has not returned the minor's personal belongings to her relatives.
_Source: The Haitian Times_
Source: Google News DO — Crime