March 16, 2026
Two weeks after the death of 11-year-old Stephora Joseph during a school trip to Santiago, no official explanation has been provided by the authorities. The girl’s mother, Loveli Raphael Joseph, remains devastated and says she wakes up every morning at the same time her daughter used to call her: “Mami, es la hora.”
Her last memory is her daughter’s tender farewell on November 14: “Bye, mami. I love you.” At the Los Caballos ranch, where the tragedy occurred, the administrator says he handed over the surveillance footage to authorities, yet the family has still not been granted access.
The Ministry of Education states that it has no official authorization on record for this school outing. This silence from the justice system, the school, and the local authorities leaves the family in confusion and pain.
Loveli Raphael Joseph is now directly appealing to Prosecutor Jenny Berenice Reynoso, requesting clear answers: “I just want to know what happened to my daughter.” The tragedy continues to stir incomprehension and outrage among the Haitian community in the Dominican Republic.
