So you go to them and get a list of local attorneys that will charge an arm & a leg to do a criminal case. Imagine that-you were just victimized by a crime and now to prosecute will cost the sum of a new car or whatever-LOL.
Ignore these Trolls on here. They have no idea how things work. Most of them do not have even an iota of an idea how it works here.
1.) Why would you go to the embassy when A.) your sitting in the hospital for days, and B.) the police and so-called detectives came to the hospital and took down her story and no doubt re-assured her that they are working on her case.
2.) How could she--or any other tourists--know that it does not work like it does in the USA where you have Forensic detectives and specialists sent to the crime scene where they dust, collect, and scan for forensic evidence.
3.) Anyone in her shoes would be thinking, "Thank god the police and authorities are on it!" At this point, you only want to get the hell out of here and go home and let the police, detectives, forensic specialists & prosecutors do their work.
4.) After you see that the police and investigators are on it, no one is thinking, "I want to go to the US embassy and stand in a long line from hell, wait for who knows how long to talk to someone, and wait to hear what they can or cannot do for your situation, etc.
5.) How can any tourists know how inept the investigations & forensic team are here? They only know how it works in their own country.
In 2008 i was arrested with four other Dominican men for a murder of a girl. When the investigation team brought me in for questioning, they asked me good questions. They wanted to know every detail of my whereabouts on the day of the murder (4-days earlier). So far, so good. But they never checked me or the other four men for any evidence. They did not check us for fingerprints. They did not check us for blood splatter on our clothes or shoes, no DNA, no fingerprints, no footprints, or any other potential incriminating evidence that could link us to the crime..,not a request for even one single piece of evidence fro us...let that sink in.
When they told me i was a suspect, i said, "Sure no problem, but can i make a suggestion?" i asked.
"Sure, what is it?"
"You might want to have all the potential suspects disrobe and check for any scratches," I suggested.
"Why? they asked.
"Why!? Because, if the girl was stabbed to death--as you have already mentioned--then she would have tried to defend herself and she most likely would have scratched the culprit in the process, no?"
They just waved their hand and dismissed my suggestion altogether.
I asked the other suspects, "Were any of you guys asked to take your shirt off or made to show anything to the investigators?"
"No," they answered, wondering why?
No one seemed to understand why they would check for scratches and defensive wounds!!
"Did they check any of your clothes for blood?" I asked.
"No," they answered.
"Did any of the police come over to your houses and check for anything...shoes, clothes, knives, etc....anything at all!?"
"No."
So, right there, in a Dominican nutshell, you have the fabulous Dominican team of forensic specialists working on your behalf.
