Santo Domingo.- The Dominican College of Journalists (CDP), National District section, condemned the aggressions against several journalists while covering the case of a teacher accused of alleged child abuse in the Alma Rosa I sector, in Santo Domingo Este, and warned that it will give the authorities a deadline to provide answers about what happened.
The president of the union, Luis Pérez, stated that they expect a reaction from the National Police and that, if it does not occur, the union will mobilize.
“On behalf of the Police Director and our brother and friend Diego Pesqueira, we call for an investigation into this matter. Otherwise, we will be planning to go to the Police Palace next Monday accompanied by you to demand details about what has been achieved up to that moment,” he expressed.
Pérez pointed out that the attacked journalists were only fulfilling their duty to inform the citizenry and that the authorities must guarantee the safety of communication professionals when covering events of public interest.
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In that same vein, the president of the Circle of Graphic Reporters, René Polanco, denounced that the communicators were doing their job legally when they were attacked.
“We are doing work with all the legality in the world. We are not attacking anyone to be attacked in that way. The authorities are there to protect, not to attack,” he maintained.
For his part, Olivo De León, representative of the Marcelino Vélez Movement, demanded that those responsible for the attacks be identified and that measures be taken to prevent similar events from happening again.
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“The journalists were fulfilling their function of informing. The authorities must identify those responsible and announce what measures will be taken,” he stated.
The aggressions occurred while several media outlets were covering the case that has generated public outrage following the dissemination of a video on social media showing the alleged child abuse that occurred at the preschool and daycare Mi Segundo Hogar Little Steps, located in Alma Rosa I.
The guild also reported that during the incident, journalists Ana Laura López, from the digital media outlet De Último Minuto; Jessica Hernández, from Red Nacional de Noticias (RNN); and Yessica Tavares, from AN7, were affected, who were beaten and outraged by relatives of the teacher in question while they were covering the event.
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They also indicated that one of the reporters fainted in the midst of the altercation after being affected by pepper spray used to disperse the fight.
