11/28/2025
Eleven-year-old Stephora Anne-Mircie Joseph died after drowning during a school-organized excursion to a villa with a pool in Gurabo (near Santiago, Dominican Republic). The outing, described by observers as a trip for honor-roll students, has sparked outrage, as both the school and the public prosecutor’s office remain silent about the circumstances of her death. The child’s mother and legal representatives say that after nearly two weeks, she still has not received the preliminary report from the investigating body, no autopsy results, no explanation, no public statement. 
Family members and their lawyers accuse the school of negligence and the justice system of “denial of the right to truth.” According to legal counsel, a 2009 order from the country’s education authority prohibits school excursions to pools, rivers, beaches or any bodies of water, following a previous similar tragedy. The villa reportedly lacked lifeguards, safety equipment, adequate supervision, or medical staff, conditions that lawyers argue make the school’s approval of the outing unacceptable and irresponsible. 
The lack of transparency and refusal to grant the family access to security video or investigation documents has deepened public anger. The mother, in repeated pleas, says she cannot rest until she sees the video and knows exactly what happened to her daughter. Civil-society groups, human rights advocates, and many parents are now calling for full accountability, and to review procedures around school excursions to prevent future tragedies.
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