0
0
Legal Decision on Dominican Investigation Involving Wander Franco
A recent legal ruling in the Dominican Republic has denied Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco’s request to suspend required monthly meetings with Dominican authorities. The investigation revolves around allegations of a sexual relationship with a 14-year-old girl, as per documents obtained on Friday.
Franco is facing accusations of sexual and psychological abuse and is currently under conditional release as the investigation against the All-Star player progresses. Despite not being formally charged, Dominican authorities have the right to detain suspects under investigation pending sufficient evidence for formal charges.
According to prosecutors, Franco allegedly paid the minor girl’s mother thousands of dollars for her consent during the four-month relationship. The girl’s mother is also facing charges and is under house arrest. To protect her daughter’s privacy, the woman’s identity has been withheld.
In an effort to ease restrictions, Franco’s legal team requested the return of a $33,000 deposit made for his conditional release after a brief detention in January. However, prosecutors objected to this request, emphasizing the importance of ensuring Franco’s presence throughout the legal process.
Subsequent to the denial of both requests by the judge in March, Franco’s attorneys have initiated an appeal with a pending ruling. The talented player, who was enjoying an exceptional season before his suspension in August, triggered investigations from both Dominican authorities and Major League Baseball.
Having been placed on the restricted list on August 14 and then on administrative leave on August 22, Franco’s future in MLB remains uncertain pending the outcomes of the ongoing investigations. League officials are likely to await the conclusion of the Dominican investigation before making any decisions regarding disciplinary actions.
At just 23 years old, Franco had signed a lucrative $182 million 11-year contract in 2021. His impressive performance included 17 home runs, 58 RBIs, and 30 stolen bases in 112 games before his career was put on hold. With a salary of $2 million annually over the past two seasons, Wander Franco’s legal issues have cast a shadow over his promising baseball career.
Image/Photo credit: source url
