SANTO DOMINGO –Nearly a year after the collapse of the former Jet Set nightclub on April 8, 2025, the debate over how to proceed with the investigation has once again taken center stage in the legal process. Siblings Antonio and Maribel Espaillat have again requested independent technical assessments of the building's ruins and reiterated their opposition to any demolition, removal, or modification of the structure until the causes of the collapse are determined.
The request was served by bailiff to the District Attorney's Office and the General Directorate of Prosecution of the Public Ministry, where the applicants insisted on the need to preserve the place and all its structural elements to guarantee specialized analysis.
Defense insists on independent experts
In the document, the Espaillat family reiterated their interest in having the counter-assessment conducted by engineer José M. Lockhart, whom they describe as a professional with over six decades of experience in structural engineering and forensic failure analysis. In their view, preserving the building is essential for conducting a comprehensive technical evaluation.
They also reiterated their request for the accreditation of engineer Nicolás Sáenz as a technical consultant. The specialist is part of the international firm Thornton Tomasetti, recognized for its participation in investigations of high-impact structural collapses worldwide.
According to the applicants, since April 29, 2025 they have requested access to the ruins and guarantees of preservation of the site from the Public Prosecutor's Office, without having received —they claim— an effective response.
Opposition to the demolition and next legal steps
The defense warned that any alteration to the structure could irreversibly jeopardize the requested expert analyses and violate both the constitutional right to a defense and the principle of equality within the criminal process. Therefore, they formally registered their opposition to any attempt at demolition, subject to all legal reservations.
The requests for expert opinions and accreditation of consultants will be submitted again to the investigating judge in charge of the preliminary hearing, in accordance with the deadline established in article 304 of the Criminal Procedure Code.
The debate comes after Judge Raymundo Mejía of the First Court of Instruction of the National District declared inadmissible a first request for a counter-expert report, considering it untimely and without purpose, and also stating that he will not allow dilatory incidents in the process.
The Jet Set collapse left 236 dead and more than 180 injured, a tragedy that continues to shape the course of an investigation where every technical decision could prove crucial in clarifying responsibilities.
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