Clown accused of abusing minors in Santiago

Kelvin Francisco Núñez Morel, better known as Kanqui, has been playing a clown on a children’s television program for nearly 13 years, but is now accused of being a pedophile, victimizing several minors. He was arrested on 8 April 2019 and is being held at the Palacio de Justicia in Santiago while the judge hears requests for pre-trial custody.

As reported, the child abuse cases could have been known for a long time, but it would take a TV report on CDN, Channel 37, when the cases of sexual violations were made public following complaints from three Santiago individuals for the Santiago justice to act ordering his arrest on Sunday, 7 April 2019. After the promo for the report was released, the Public Ministry acted. At least alleged victims have presented claims against the popular clown.

Lucas Benítez (Patelito), who presides the Dominican Clowns Association (Asopado) said that the case affects the over 1,000 clowns that work as such in the Dominican Republic. “It affects us because first people talk as if clowns come in six-packs,” he said. He is concerned people will generalize that clowns are rapists. Clowns under the National Union of Dominican Clowns (Unapadom) have also called for an investigation.

When the scandal broke, Kanqui was abroad. He was arrested by Santiago prosecutors at the Cibao International Airport upon returning from New York. He said he had traveled for professional reasons abroad, but changed his flight to return earlier to collaborate with the authorities and address the accusations.

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9 April 2019