January 29, 2026
The Dominican public prosecutor has requested bail of 50 million pesos for each of the four employees of the Leonardo Da Vinci Institute charged with involuntary homicide in the Stephora case. Prosecutors say they have video evidence showing “extreme negligence by those responsible for Stephora’s care.”
The 11-year-old student died on November 14 in a swimming pool at the Los Caballos ranch in Gurabo during a school excursion. Investigators note that “87 children were transported with only three chaperones,” with no appropriate safety measures.
The requested coercive measures include a ban on leaving the country without judicial authorization, periodic reporting to the prosecutor, and electronic monitoring devices. The prosecutor’s office insists these measures are “proportionate to the alleged facts” and consistent with Article 226 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
The accused are Yris del Carmen Reyes Adames, Gisela Altagracia González Estrella, Francisca Josefina Tavarez Vélez, and Vilma Altagracia Vargas Morel. They are charged with involuntary homicide, abandonment, and mistreatment under Articles 319 and 351-2 of the Criminal Code and Law 136-03 on child protection.
According to the prosecutor’s statement, the chaperones did not check whether children could swim and “neither brought nor required life jackets.” Authorities believe this accumulation of failures directly exposed Stephora to mortal danger.
The investigation, led by Wilson Camacho and Olga Diná Llaverías, is expected to proceed with an official inspection of the Leonardo Da Vinci school. The prosecutor seeks to determine whether other “practices contrary to the child’s best interest” exist within the institution.
