Court upholds measures against Colegio Da Vinci employees for student’s death; hearing set for March 26

Santiago. – The judges of the Second Chamber of the Criminal Chamber of the Court of Appeals of Santiago ratified the coercive measures imposed against several employees of the Da Vinci School, linked to the judicial process for the death of the student Stephora Anne-Mircie Joseph, who died of drowning during a school excursion. The court rejected the appeal filed by the Public Prosecutor’s Office, which sought to toughen the measures against the defendants, and upheld the first instance decision that establishes an economic guarantee of 500 thousand pesos, a ban on leaving the country and periodic reporting for three of the teachers on trial.

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The lawyer José Lorenzo Fermín, legal representative of Yris del Carmen Reyes Adames, Francisca Josefina Tavárez Vélez, counselor, and Vilma Altagracia Vargas Morel, secondary level coordinator, explained that the court considered that the initial resolution was duly based on law. According to what was indicated, the Public Ministry requested to increase the financial guarantee from 500 thousand pesos to 50 million pesos, which he described as a disproportionate measure, a request that was finally rejected by the judges. Meanwhile, Miguel Valdemar Díaz, lawyer for the family of the deceased minor, maintained that the family continues to demand that other people be brought to justice, including representatives of the educational center and the owners of the estate where the activity took place. The lawyer also denounced that the girl’s mother has still not received the belongings she was carrying on the day of the excursion, despite multiple requests made during the process. Díaz reported that a hearing has been set for March 26 where the process against representatives of the Da Vinci School association and the owners of the estate where the excursion took place will be known, a stage in which the family hopes that new responsibilities for the tragedy will be determined. For her part, lawyer María del Pilar Suller, representative of Gisela González, general coordinator and advisor to the management team of the educational center, expressed satisfaction with the court’s decision. He explained that the court upheld the first instance decision to not impose coercive measures against his client, considering that she was not present at the scene nor did she have material contact with the evidence in the case. The death of Stephora Anne-Mircie Joseph, during an excursion organized by Da Vinci College, generated great consternation in Santiago and led to a judicial process that is still seeking to determine the responsibilities surrounding the tragedy. The decision was made by judges Herminia Rodríguez, president of the court, along with Víctor Ureña and Clara Vargas, members of the Second Chamber of the Criminal Chamber of the Court of Appeals of Santiago. If you wish, I can also give you 5 more journalistic and more impactful titles so you can choose the one that works best for the cover.