Santiago. – Lawyer Miguel Díaz, representative of the family of Stephora Ann Mirzi Joseph, the 11-year-old girl who died during an excursion at the Leonardo Da Vinci school, assured that the videos and audios delivered to the parties involved show the tragic sequence of the incident in the educational center’s swimming pool.
According to the defense, the images show how the minor was walking in the deepest area of the pool, asking for help and raising her arms while struggling to stay afloat, without the school staff intervening immediately. Other students they tried to help her pushing his body towards the shore while one of them gave the warning.
“She falls, then the girl begins to scream, you hear the screams, imagine a camera with audio that is far away, and this, you hear two terrifying screams, she asking for help, however, putting her hands and screaming, in front there are like six children who see her, they point out when she is drowning, they let her drown, they do not give the warning, they do not say anything, and after she submerges, despite fighting, fighting for her life, they move from the place and They go to another space in the pool,” says Díaz.
The lawyer adds: “Even when this is happening and one of the teachers, who is here subdued, is entering, she passes by and does not look at any time, she is with a cell phone in her hand, and she begins to take it away and shout, she raises her hand, at no time does she look, and she goes to a secluded place with another classmate who was there, and without ever looking there.”
The representative of Stephora’s family points out: “Something that catches our attention is that afterwards, she lasts more than 30 minutes submerged at the bottom of that six-foot teacher’s pool, something to be seen to be believed, she puts her body full of water in, and three children, three children begin, who seem to bump into her when she is climbing, begin to push her, believing that perhaps in our opinion because none of the children on this excursion were questioned, they believe that perhaps she is playing”.
The material shows what was described by Díaz as a “heartbreaking fact.”
According to the lawyer, the audiovisual shows that the arrival of two teachers occurred after attempts by the students, and that they initially refused to call the National Emergency Assistance System 9-1-1, claiming that they had to wait for instructions from the school director.
According to Díaz, the incident occurred in a pool with a depth of more than six feet, and the videos clearly show Stéphora’s struggle to survive, as well as the delay in attendance by the staff and the initial reaction of the other students.
The hearing to learn about the coercive measure against four members of the college involved was postponed for tomorrow at the request of the defenseso that Stéphora’s mother can attend.
The Public Ministry requested that the accused be subject to electronic shackles and that a bond of RD$50 million for the four involved.
However, the family’s lawyer indicated that there are disagreements with some requests from the Public Ministry and with the people included in the process, and that the delivery of the report seeks to guarantee that all parties can review the evidentiary material before the hearing.
The minor’s family emphasized the importance of respecting legal procedures and guaranteeing the right to present evidence and exercise defense.
Tomorrow’s hearing will be key for the formal presentation of the complaint and for the family’s lawyers to detail the evidence that supports their case.
The court authorities confirmed that strict monitoring of the process will be maintained, with the aim of guaranteeing justice in a case that has generated great public attention.
