Santo Domingo. Lawyer Miguel Valerio, representative of Ivonne Handal Abugabir’s family, criticized this Thursday that Michael Pumarol Fernández remains at liberty while the judicial process against him continues and reiterated his request that the case be sent to a full trial.
The statements were offered after the reading of the Court of Appeal’s ruling, where Valerio explained that Pumarol was not brought to the court because he is at liberty, after having been favored in the first instance with a dismissal order.
“He is free. He is a person who committed what he committed and is under the responsibility of a psychiatric center. He is not under any obligation to come because he is at liberty,” the jurist stated.
Valerio recalled that the plaintiff appealed the first-instance decision, considering that it did not align with the facts or the evidence presented, and therefore expects the process to continue with the opening of a trial on the merits.
“What justice dictates is that he goes to a trial on the merits and there argues whatever he has to argue,” he maintained.
The lawyer also questioned that the defendant remains outside the penitentiary system, pointing out that in the country there are psychiatric wards in correctional centers for those deprived of liberty who require specialized treatment.
We recommend reading:
“This has been the exception to the rule. When a case of this nature occurs, the person is sent to a psychiatric ward within the prison system. Dominican prisons have those areas,” he stated.
More Read
Likewise, he rejected the versions that in penitentiary centers the necessary medications or treatments for people with mental health conditions are not guaranteed, indicating that the system allows for the required medical attention to be provided and that only a specialized medical evaluation can determine if an inmate should receive treatment outside of prison.
Valerio also recalled that the Mental Health Law empowers judges to order the admission of a defendant to a psychiatric center under judicial control when the circumstances of the case so warrant.
The jurist highlighted that the hearing coincided with the first anniversary of the passing of Ivonne Handal Abugabir, describing the date as especially difficult for her relatives and reiterating the call for the process to continue until the corresponding criminal responsibility is determined.
Case background
The case dates back to July 2025, when Michael Pumarol Fernández carried out a stabbing attack in a residential building, leaving one person dead and five injured.
During the incident, Ivonne Handal Abugabir, 70, died. In addition, Guillermo Pumarol, the attacker’s father; Teresa Fabián Heredia, who worked as a caregiver; and neighbors Francisco Tezano, Griselda Ozuna, and Victoria Heredia were injured.
Since then, the judicial process has been marked by the debate over Pumarol’s mental health status and the decisions made by the courts regarding his legal situation. The victim’s family has insisted that the case be heard in a full trial so that the corresponding responsibilities can be established.
