Wander Franco Trial Postponed: New Date in March
SANTO DOMINGO – The Collegiate Court of the Judicial District of Puerto Plata has postponed the opening of the new trial against former Major League player Wander Franco, who faces accusations of psychological and sexual abuse against a teenager.
The initially scheduled hearing has been rescheduled for March 30th and 31st, and April 1st.
This decision was made due to the non-appearance of several witnesses for one of the defendants, who were not formally summoned for the process.Reopening of the Judicial Process
The reopening of the trial was ordered in December by the Court of Appeal of the Criminal Chamber of the same judicial department. This occurred after accepting an appeal filed by the Public Ministry, in response to the sentence issued on June 27, 2025.
The Court of Appeals determined that the case must be reviewed from the trial phase, allowing new judges to evaluate the evidence and issue a new decision.
In the first instance, Franco was sentenced to two years in prison, with suspension of the sentence, in addition to a fine equivalent to 10 minimum wages and the payment of legal costs. He was found guilty of violating articles 396, letters b and c, of the Code for the Protection and Fundamental Rights of Children and Adolescents (Law 136-03).
The court imposed conditions, including a ban on approaching adolescents for sexual purposes. In case of non-compliance, the fulfillment of the sentence was ordered at the San Felipe Correction and Rehabilitation Center, in Puerto Plata.Situation of the Victim’s Mother
The new trial also involves the minor’s mother, who in the original sentence was sentenced to 10 years in prison for commercial sexual exploitation and money laundering. Currently, the woman is serving her sentence at the Rafey Women’s Correction and Rehabilitation Center in Santiago.
In addition to the prison sentence, the court ordered the payment of a fine equivalent to 30 minimum wages and the seizure of assets, including a plot of land, a vehicle, bank deposits and sums of money in pesos and dollars, as well as electronic devices and funds held in bank accounts.
With this postponement, the judicial process is suspended until the end of March. The court is expected to resume the case from the beginning, complying with what was established by the Court of Appeal.
