Prosecutors within the Dominican Republic have introduced formal fees in opposition to Wander Franco, in response to Juan Arturo Recio of ESPN. Franco is formally going through fees of sexual abuse and sexual exploitation in opposition to a minor, in response to the report.
Franco has been on administrative go away for the complete 2024 season. He has not performed within the majors since social media allegations got here to gentle final August. Franco allegedly had sexual relations with a 14-year-old woman. The age of consent within the Dominican Republic is eighteen.
In January, prosecutors mentioned that Franco paid the woman’s mom the equal of hundreds of {dollars} to stay silent concerning the alleged abuse. In accordance with a Spanish-language report from Listín Diario, the woman’s mom is going through fees of trafficking, sexual exploitation and cash laundering.
Whereas prosecutors initially indicated they had been contemplating charging Franco with industrial/sexual exploitation and cash laundering, a choose lessened the potential fees in opposition to him to sexual and psychological abuse. These fees include a possible jail time period of two to 5 years. The courtroom gave prosecutors till July to find out whether or not to formally deliver fees, which they’ve determined to do.
MLB is prone to look ahead to the authorized proceedings to play out earlier than levying any self-discipline in opposition to Franco underneath the home violence/youngster abuse coverage. Administrative go away, 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 go away 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.