Jet Set owners to face criminal trial over deaths of 236 people in collapse
Antonio and Maribel Espaillat will be tried for involuntary manslaughter following the collapse of the roof of their nightclub in Santo Domingo, where 236 attendees died and more than 180 were injured.
Jet Set owners to face criminal trial over deaths of 236 people in collapse
A judge ordered that Antonio and Maribel Espaillat be tried for involuntary manslaughter following the catastrophe at the Jet Set establishment, located in the Dominican capital. The accident took place in April of the previous year, when the roof structure gave way over the crowd gathered inside. The toll was 236 dead and around 180 people injured.
The court's ruling did not satisfy everyone. The lawyers representing the bereaved families argued that the businesspeople should be charged with wilful manslaughter, a legal classification that carries far harsher penalties.
Indeed, the maximum sentence for involuntary manslaughter is two years in prison. By contrast, anyone found guilty of wilful manslaughter can be sentenced to up to twenty years of incarceration.
The disaster occurred in a matter of moments. What began as an evening of entertainment turned into a nightmare when the building's roof collapsed. The Dominican community still remembers that early morning of mourning with distress.
A year after the event, emotional and physical aftereffects remain. Numerous families lost loved ones and thousands of citizens believe that justice should be more forceful against those who, it is alleged, did not ensure the building's safety.
Information published by WAPA TV
Source: Google News DO — Crime