Prosecutors within the Dominican Republic have introduced formal expenses towards Wander Franco, tweets Juan Arturo Recio of ESPN. Franco is formally dealing with expenses of sexual abuse and sexual exploitation towards a minor, in line with the report.
Franco has been on administrative depart for your entire 2024 season. He has not performed within the majors since social media allegations got here to mild final August accusing Franco of getting sexual relations with a 14-year-old woman. The age of consent within the Dominican Republic is eighteen.
In January, prosecutors claimed that Franco paid the woman’s mom the equal of 1000’s of {dollars} to stay silent in regards to the alleged abuse. In response to a Spanish-language report from Listín Diario, the woman’s mom is dealing with expenses of trafficking, sexual exploitation and cash laundering.
Whereas prosecutors initially indicated they have been contemplating charging Franco with industrial/sexual exploitation and cash laundering, a decide lessened the potential expenses towards him to sexual and psychological abuse. These expenses include a possible jail time period of two to 5 years. The court docket gave prosecutors till July to find out whether or not to formally carry expenses, which they’ve determined to do.
MLB is more likely to look ahead to the authorized proceedings to play out earlier than levying any self-discipline towards Franco beneath the home violence/youngster abuse coverage. Administrative depart, which isn’t thought-about punitive, is designed to permit the league to conduct an investigation after gamers are accused of a violation. MLB and the Gamers Affiliation have already agreed to increase Franco’s depart till the All-Star Break. It’s doubtless they’ll proceed to take action till the authorized course of within the D.R. is resolved.
