Santo Domingo. — Mrs. Emérita Marte, mother of pastor Elisa Muñoz, a fatality in the Villa Altagracia case, expressed her support for lawyer José Martínez Hoepelman, whom she described as “a moral and legal pillar” in his tireless fight for justice.
In an emotional video testimony, Marte said she felt betrayed by the recent reduction of the sentence of Colonel César Maríñez, the main person involved in the extrajudicial execution that shocked the country. Despite the fact that the Collegiate Court of Villa Altagracia issued an unprecedented sentence, condemning the National Police to pay a millionaire compensation for damages, the Second Chamber of the Court of Appeals of San Cristóbal reduced Maríñez’s sentence from 20 to 10 years in prison.You may be interested in: Black pastors hold vigil for those murdered at Walmart
“I trust in God, but I can’t wait for divine justice. I trust in my lawyer to achieve justice here on earth,” Marte expressed, visibly affected. She also lamented that the mother of Joel Eusebio Díaz Ferrer, another victim of the same event, passed away without seeing justice.
The Court that issued the controversial ruling is composed of judges Luis Domingo Sención Araujo, Manuel de Jesús de la Rosa Barrientos, Lourdes Yanaire Rodríguez Arias and Orquis Celado González, whose names have been linked to controversial decisions in other high-profile cases.
Lawyer Hoepelman reaffirmed his commitment to the cause, assuring that all legal resources will be exhausted. “This fight is not just about a mother. It is a national cause for dignity, human rights, and institutional transformation,” he stated.
More Read
The case has marked a legal milestone in the country, evidencing both the advances in terms of civil liability of the State and the deep cracks in the Dominican penal system, especially with regard to crimes committed by law enforcement officers.
