Trial over deaths of two military personnel at Cerro Muriano marks start of judicial year in Córdoba
The Central Military Court will try four commanders in October for the deaths of lance corporal Jiménez and soldier León. The investigation into the Adamuz railway accident, which left 46 dead, will also dominate judicial activity in Córdoba.
Córdoba's judicial year opens with cases involving deaths, violence and economic crimes
The courts in Córdoba face a new year packed with significant cases, according to reports. Among the cases already scheduled are a lengthy military trial, the investigation into the Adamuz railway accident and several cases involving homicide, domestic violence and money laundering.
The Cerro Muriano trial before the Central Military Court
The most prominent proceeding of the coming months will not be held at the Provincial Court of Córdoba, but at the Central Military Court in Madrid. Between 26 October and 24 November, over twenty sessions with more than one hundred witnesses and expert witnesses, the deaths of lance corporal Miguel Ángel Jiménez and soldier Carlos León will be tried. They died during manoeuvres at the artificial lake at the Cerro Muriano military base in December 2023.
In the dock will sit lieutenant colonel José Luis Zanfaño Hidalgo, major Luis Fernando Velasco Quero and captains Ignacio Zúñiga Morillas and Jaime Tato Garrido. The case is considered one of the most significant in the field of military justice in recent years, both for its scale and for the volume of evidence anticipated.
One of the private prosecutions is seeking sentences of close to ten years' imprisonment for each of the four defendants, their discharge from the military service, payment of court costs and joint civil liability of close to 500,000 euros. The charges include offences against the efficiency of service and involuntary manslaughter. The oral proceedings will involve three private prosecutions, the Public Prosecutor's Office, the State Counsel's office, the insurance company's representation and the four defence teams.
Adamuz: investigation continues with no trial date
Still in the investigation phase, the railway accident at Adamuz on 18 January—in which 46 people died—will take up a significant portion of the province's judicial activity over the coming months. The Civil Guard continues to investigate and submit material to the judge in Montoro handling the case. In recent days, proceedings have been expanded with six findings of broken rail which, according to the investigation, caused the derailment of the Iryo train coming from Málaga bound for Madrid: two of its carriages fell onto the opposite track, where an Alvia train heading to Huelva arrived shortly afterwards, impacting them and also derailing. No date has been set for a possible trial.
Homicides in the capital awaiting trial
The judicial year will also bring several cases of violence that occurred in recent months in the city to the courts. One involves a man accused of causing the death of his disabled 30-year-old daughter on Calle Villa de Rota, in the Ciudad Jardín neighbourhood, in January this year. A belt was apparently used as a weapon, a matter that will need to be clarified at the pending trial.
At the same time, the opening of oral proceedings is expected against a man accused of stabbing another person in the heart with a 19-centimetre blade weapon following a quarrel in the Moreras neighbourhood in early 2025. The victim died on the spot. The defendant has been in provisional detention since then.
Still under investigation is another case of wounding with a blade weapon—without fatal consequences—related to an attempted stabbing of a driver for the municipal transport company Aucorsa, which occurred in November 2025. The incident caused considerable alarm among workers in the sector, who called for the installation of protective barriers and other safety measures.
The Tulia case: domestic violence with fatal outcome
The investigation into the death of Tulia, a 65-year-old woman and mother of two who was allegedly murdered by her ex-partner in the Fuensanta neighbourhood last April, will also advance over the coming months. According to the facts under investigation, the victim had gone out to walk the dog when her alleged attacker dealt her a fatal stab wound to the chest. It is the most recent case of domestic violence with fatal consequences in the capital of Córdoba, and the case remains in the investigation phase.
Alleged mistreatment of 18 minors at a school
Another matter currently being dealt with is that of a nursery school teacher accused of alleged mistreatment of up to 18 pupils, following complaints filed by parents. The case is proceeding through the courts with no trial date yet set.
Economic crimes: money laundering and Córdoba CF
In the field of economic crimes, one of the trials expected in the coming months is derived from Operation 'Fenicia-Diávolo 24', which enabled the dismantling of a criminal organisation that used an office in Córdoba to direct money laundering and receive large amounts of cash. The network had branches in Madrid, Salamanca and Zamora, from where cash was transported to different points across the country to purchase gold of irregular origin. The operation resulted in 19 arrests and eleven searches in the province of Córdoba alone, with the seizure of more than twelve kilos of gold.
The Córdoba courts will also continue to examine the management of Córdoba Club de Fútbol. In recent months, convictions have already been handed down against two former club presidents for various offences: Carlos González, sentenced to two years' imprisonment, and a second executive whose case also recently concluded with a conviction. Proceedings related to the football club will continue in the coming months.
This set of cases paints a picture of an intense judicial year in Córdoba, with proceedings ranging from military justice to domestic violence, including major operations against organised crime.
Source: ABC