Santo Domingo. – The life of Ismeiry de Jesús, a girl of just 9 years old, changed forever on March 23rd, when she was the victim of an act of extreme violence in the Cancino Adentro sector. According to her foster mother, Josefina Reyes Castillo, the little girl was tied up, doused with gasoline, and burned by two teenagers aged 13 and 14, one of them identified as Nashly.
“Although they say it wasn’t, the girl does say how it happened: they grabbed her, tied her up, poured gasoline on her and set her on fire,” assured Josefina, who also pointed out that Nashly had already frequently mistreated Ismeiry before the attack.
Three surgeries and a long road ahead
Ismeiry remains admitted to the Robert Reid Cabral Children’s Hospital, she has already undergone three skin graft surgeries.“They have done grafts on several parts of the body. The most affected was the thorax, his little face and his back”, explained Emely Florencio Mesa, a volunteer who has joined the cause after learning about the case on social media.
Fear, threats, and deficiencies
In addition to the physical and emotional suffering, the family faces threats, allegedly from relatives of one of the aggressors. Josefina assures that Paola, Nashly’s aunt, moved after what happened, but not without first issuing warnings to the affected family. “We need justice to be served. If the aggressor girl cannot go to jail because she is a minor, her parents should be responsible for the expenses and face the consequences,” Josefina expressed. The economic situation is also critical. Ismeiry’s biological mother suffers from autism, and her aunt and grandmother —who care for her along with Josefina— are elderly. Added to this is the urgent need for diapers, medication, and better housing conditions.“The girl lives in precarious conditions. This is something that hurts, something inhumane. We need help,” implored Emely Florencio.
