Wander Franco criminally responsible for abuse, judge finds, but spared punishment in Dominican case
PUERTO PLATA, Dominican Republic (AP) — Tampa Bay Rays centre-back Tour Franco A Dominican judge ruled Monday that he was declared criminally responsible for the sexual and psychological abuse of a child but will not serve the sentence.
In his decision, Judge José Antonio Núñez evaluated that Franco was subjected to extortion and blackmail by the mother of the little boy, who was sentenced to 10 years in prison for sexually abusing her daughter.
Advertising
“It seems contradictory to declare criminal liability and at the same time exempt him from punishment. The court granted judicial amnesty due to certain circumstances that made Wander Franco a material victim, but not legal,” Núñez explained.
The judge stated that the judicial pardon was a “logical and legal justification”.
“Thank God for everything,” Franco said as he enthusiastically embraced his mother, Nancy Aybar, and other family members who accompanied him in court.
Franco was arrested in January 2024 after allegedly having a four-month affair. a 14 year old girl At the time, he was transferring thousands of dollars to his mother to get her consent. illicit relationship.
Advertising
Franco, who left the courthouse with his lawyer Teodosio Jáquez after the verdict, answered journalists’ questions briefly and said, “I feel calm” and asked his fans to “continue to support me and trust me.”
Franco also said he hasn’t contacted the Rays personally, but their attorneys certainly have.
“We are aware of today’s decision in the Wander Franco case and will conclude our investigation at the appropriate time,” Major League Baseball said in a statement.
Franco’s lawyer, Jáquez, said: “Corporal punishment is not in our hands, but he was exempt from punishment because the presiding judge found that he was also a victim and was exempt from punishment through judicial amnesty.”
Advertising
The full sentence will be given on June 16.
“We will give you more details when we have the full sentence,” Jáquez said. “He was spared the penalty and we think that’s fine, but we have to keep the penalty.
In November 2021, Franco signed an 11-year, $182 million contract But his career was turned upside down when authorities in the Dominican Republic announced in August 2023 that they were investigating him for an alleged relationship with an underage child. Franco was 22 years old at the time.
Six months after his arrest, Tampa Bay placed him on the restricted list, which cut off his pay while on administrative leave.
___
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB
