SANTO DOMINGO – The court overseeing the legal proceedings related to the collapse of the Jet Set nightclub has rejected inappropriate at this stage of the proceedings.
As explained in the hearing, the request should have been filed with the supervising judge, which is why the court decided not to consider it on its merits. However, the decision left open the possibility that the defense could reintroduce the request through another channel, which has generated concern among the plaintiffs.
Plaintiffs warn that the decision leaves open a “procedural loophole”
The plaintiffs' lawyer, Plutarco Jáquez, stated that although they requested the definitive rejection of the expert report, the court opted to declare it inadmissible for procedural reasons. In his opinion, this decision does not completely close the debate and allows the defense to attempt to reintroduce the request.
Jáquez pointed out that the judge indicated that any new request could be processed administratively, which—according to the lawyer—poses a procedural risk. “That’s the dangerous part; it left the defense with an opening to request it again,” he stated, adding that the plaintiffs will await further developments in the judicial decisions.
Legal proceedings and charges
The Public Prosecutor's Office accuses the owners and administrators of Jet Set, Antonio and Maribel Espaillat, of involuntary manslaughter, involuntary blows and injuries, as well as serious negligence and recklessness, in accordance with articles 319 and 320 of the Dominican Penal Code.
According to the prosecution, the building's collapse was not an accident, but the result of years of structural neglect, including overloading the roof with air conditioning equipment and water tanks without proper technical studies, inadequate maintenance, and ignoring internal warnings about the building's deterioration. The case file alleges that warnings about the roof's condition were issued just one day before the fatal incident, and these warnings were ignored.
Jet Set Tragedy
The Jet Set Club tragedy occurred in the early hours of Tuesday, April 8, 2025 , in Santo Domingo, when the nightclub's roof collapsed during a live performance by merengue singer Rubby Pérez. The country activated rescue operations led by the Emergency Operations Center and other institutions, and the government reported a progressive increase in the death toll during those days; an official statement placed the number at 231 dead (221 at the scene and 10 in hospitals), with dozens of injured people taken to medical centers.
You may also be interested in:
