Court sentences victim's mother to 10 years in prison in Wander Franco case

While the legal process against baseball player Wander Franco took a turn that allowed him to avoid jail, the court of this jurisdiction issued a resounding sentence of 10 years in prison against the mother of the affected adolescent, after finding her guilty of the crimes of commercial sexual exploitation and money laundering. The defendant must serve the sentence at the Rafey Women's Correction and Rehabilitation Center (CCR) in the province of Santiago. In addition to the time in prison, the court imposed a fine equivalent to 25 minimum wages, validating the accusations presented by the Specialized Prosecutor's Office for Anti-Money Laundering and the Prosecutor's Office of Puerto Plata.

Million-dollar seizure of assets

As part of the sentence, judges José Ramón Núñez, Jenny Amarilis Martínez, and Praire Ruiz ordered the seizure in favor of the State of multiple high-value assets that the accused had acquired as a result of illicit activities:

• Cash: The sum of $68,500 US dollars and 800,000 Dominican pesos.
• Properties: A plot of land of 600 square meters located in Villa Montellano.
• Vehicles: A 2023 car.

We recommend reading MP will appeal the sentence against Wander Franco for sexual abuse with judicial pardon

Protection Fund for the Adolescent

In the resolution, the court ordered a direct economic protection measure for the victim. The magistrates ordered that a financial certificate held during the investigations —the only asset that was not seized by the State— be "delivered in full to the minor", seeking to guarantee resources for her sustenance and future development after the judicial process.