Wander Franco legal proceedings in Dominican Republic

In the Dominican Republic, the Public Ministry has announced its intention to appeal a judicial decision regarding baseball player Wander Franco. While a collegiate court in Puerto Plata found Franco criminally responsible for the sexual and psychological abuse of a minor, the court also granted a judicial pardon that exempts him from serving a criminal sentence.

Prosecutor Claudio Alberto Cordero Jiménez stated the prosecution will argue the pardon is an “incorrect application of the law” and is “incompatible with the proven gravity of the crimes.” The legal challenge specifically targets the pardon rather than the 10-year prison sentence previously handed to the victim’s mother for commercial sexual exploitation and money laundering.

In a recent development, prosecutors have formally requested that the Court of Appeals in Puerto Plata revoke the pardon and instead impose a five-year prison sentence. They maintain that the initial decision was disproportionate to the gravity of the crimes. The victim’s mother remains convicted, as the prosecution did not appeal her existing sentence.

The Puerto Plata Court of Appeals is now scheduled to issue a decision regarding these appeals. While prosecutors seek to uphold the 10-year sentence for Martha Vanessa Chevalier, Franco’s defense team has requested a review of the decision. The defense argues that the court’s evaluation of evidence was flawed, claiming the sentence improperly included motivations from a previously annulled ruling, which they suggest indicates a lack of independent assessment.