The first hearing was scheduled one year and four months after the collapse of the entertainment center that left 236 dead and more than 180 injured
SANTO DOMINGO.– The legal process for the collapse of the roof of the Jet Set nightclub, one of the most devastating tragedies recorded in the recent history of the Dominican Republic, will enter a new phase on August 28, when the substantive trial begins against siblings Antonio and Maribel Espaillat, owners of the establishment.
The information was released on the night of Tuesday, July 28, through a notification issued by the Fourth Chamber of the Criminal Court of First Instance of the National District, in which the first hearing is set for 9:00 a.m., under the presidency of Judge Franny González Castillo.
With this decision, the case moves to the stage where the court will review the evidence and hear the arguments of the parties to determine the criminal responsibility of the defendants for the collapse that occurred on April 8, 2025, during a performance by merengue singer Rubby Pérez, who also died in the accident.
A case that marked the country
The collapse of the iconic nightclub left 236 people dead and more than 180 injured, becoming one of the most socially impactful legal cases in recent years.
The Public Prosecutor's Office accuses Antonio and Maribel Espaillat of involuntary (culpable) homicide, due to alleged negligence related to the structural conditions of the establishment.
The start of the trial represents a decisive step for hundreds of relatives of victims and survivors who, for more than a year, have been waiting for the justice system to determine responsibility for the tragedy.
The case was transferred to another court
The appointment of the Fourth Chamber came after Judge Clara Luz Almonte Gómez, of the Second Criminal Chamber of the National District, recused herself from hearing the case due to having personal ties with one of the victims of the collapse.
Subsequently, the case was assigned to Judge Franny González Castillo, who will be in charge of the substantive trial.
How did the case get to this stage?
The case was sent to trial by Judge Raymundo Mejía, of the First Court of Instruction of the National District, after the preliminary phase of the process was completed.
In that decision, the magistrate understood that there were sufficient elements for the case to be heard in court under the legal classification of manslaughter, rejecting the request of some victims who sought that the events be judged as voluntary homicide.
Likewise, the court maintained the coercive measures imposed against the defendants and ordered protective measures on assets to guarantee eventual economic compensation in favor of the victims in the civil sphere.
They also face civil lawsuits
In addition to the criminal proceedings, the case file includes as third parties civilly sued the companies Radio Cadena Comercial, Difusora Hemisferio, Inversiones CCEP-02, SA, as well as Evelyn Espaillat and Ana Grecia López, who are part of the claims for damages arising from the collapse.
With the start of the substantive trial scheduled for the end of August, the case enters one of its most important stages, in which the court will begin to examine the documentary, material and testimonial evidence that will define the criminal and civil responsibilities arising from the tragedy that shocked the country.
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