Spanish
Santo Domingo.- The Collegiate Court of La Altagracia sentenced this Tuesday Víctor Manuel Kery, known as “El Pastor”, and Robinson Peguero, alias “El Profeta”, for crimes of sexual assault against several victims, in a process that took place behind closed doors due to the sensitive nature of the case.
Kery was sentenced to 10 years in prison and the payment of an indemnity of two million pesos, after being found guilty of aggravated sexual assault. For his part, Peguero was sentenced to five years in prison for simple sexual assault, in accordance with the provisions of articles 330 and 333 of the Dominican Penal Code.You may be interested in: Julio Cury assures MP sought the coercive measure imposed on the Espaillats
The victims' lawyers valued the sentence, although some expressed their disagreement with the maximum penalties allowed by the current legal framework. They maintain that the crimes warrant more severe punishments due to the seriousness of the events and the role of trust that the accused held as religious leaders. During the trial, one of the key elements was the victims' testimony offered through Gesell chamber, where they described in detail the events committed by the defendants. The court validated those accounts as central evidence to make its decision. The jurists also pointed out that it was a painful process, given the condition of moral authority that the accused represented in their communities. Even so, they consider that the ruling represents an important step forward in the fight against sexual abuse and impunity in these cases.
