Edwin Paraison, representative of the Zile Foundation•©️Listín Diario
Santo Domingo, 8 December 2025.- The tragic death of 11-year-old Stéphora Joseph continues to shake the Dominican Republic. His mother, Lovelie Joseph, received a rare impetus of national solidarity, while the justice system continued its investigation and the debate on racism towards Haitian students resurfaced. Between popular support, interventions by major political actors and shadow zones surrounding the videos of the incident, the case reveals the extreme complexity of the Haitian condition in neighbouring land.
A national solidarity around a Haitian mother
According to Edwin Paraison, representative of the Zile Foundation, in an interview given to Magik9 radio on Monday 8 December, the Dominican society's reaction was massive and exemplary. « It's not a few isolated people... it's the whole society that got up. », he stresses. On X and Instagram, influential voices, including renowned Dominican lawyer Dr Felix Portes, expressed their outrage and offered free legal assistance to the family.
On the part of the authorities, three major figures expressed themselves:
- Vice-President Raquel Peña;
- the first lady;
- the Minister of the Interior;
and the Attorney General. All required a full and transparent investigation.
A case revealing deep malaise in Dominican schools
The Stéphora dossier highlights a heavy paradox: the student was recognized as brilliant, deserving, valued by his school, but exposed to persistent forms of exclusion related to his origin and skin colour.
Edwin Paraison recalls that tens of thousands of Haitian students attend Dominican schools, often without educational facilities designed to prevent or manage discrimination. The case revives the need for a policy of education for tolerance, especially towards Haitian children who are victims of racialized ridicule. The psychological pressure suffered by the girl was such that, according to Paraison, « She had come to want to change her skin color ».
An investigation under tension: edited videos, blind spots and persistent doubts
The ongoing investigation of the Public Prosecutor's Office is progressing, but several shadow areas remain. The videos circulating online would be published, according to family lawyers who now demand access to the full recordings. Media in Santiago refer to the hypothesis of external intervention, possibly involving other students, reinforced by certain elements described by Dominican journalists. The school, recognized for its excellence, faces a charge of manslaughter, and media pressure forced it to anticipate Christmas holidays.
Edwin Paraison recommends an appropriate psychological approach to interviewing classmates: « They are 11-year-olds, affected, who must speak in the best conditions. » Beyond the individual drama, the death of Stéphora Joseph became a symbol in the Dominican Republic and internationally. Several foreign media, including the Miami Herald, are already following the case.
For Paraison, « all light must be made »not only to do justice, but also to open a national debate on the condition of Haitian children, between integration, racism and vulnerability.
W.A.
