Catholic Church condemns police killings in Dominican Republic

The Catholic Church in the Dominican Republic has expressed concern regarding a series of deaths involving alleged criminals killed by police forces. Authorities have frequently justified these fatalities as the result of shootouts with police patrols.

Monsignor Carlos Tomás Morel Diplán, the auxiliary archbishop of Santo Domingo, addressed the rising violence and the high number of young people dying in these encounters. He argued that crime cannot be combated by taking human lives and called on the state to focus on prevention through education and the creation of job opportunities.

Morel Diplán also emphasized the need for coordinated government plans to prevent further violence and urged for a crackdown on corruption, noting that certain sectors of society have failed to provide positive examples for the youth.