Fourth Official Imputed In Los Gigantes Cliff Tragedy
As expected, the judge in Arona court No. 3 yesterday added Santiago del Teide councillor for tourism, Nicolás Germán Jiménez, to the list of those who will be called to answer a charge of reckless homicide following last year’s rock fall in Los Gigantes.
Judge Sagrario Tovar de la Fe made her decision after councillor Jiménez gave evidence concerning the events, in which, two women lost their lives in November of last year.
Jiménez joins the mayor of Santiago, Juan Damian Gorrín, and two other officials, the municipal technical architect, Celso Gonzalez, and the chief engineer of the Provincial Service of the Department of Coasts, Carlos Gonzalez.
If found guilty, each of the four officials could be facing up to four years behind bars.
Article 142 of the Spanish penal code states that a person who commits “serious negligence, which causes the death of another shall be punished as guilty of reckless homicide, with imprisonment of one to four years.”
It also stipulates that “when the homicide is committed as a result of professional negligence, there is also imposed a penalty of special disqualification from the exercise of the profession, or office for a period of three to six years.”
The case hinges on whether or not officials took adequate precautions to ensure public safety, following a similar but smaller landslide in the same area, just weeks before.
The decision of this lower court establishes only an opinion that there is a case to answer and is the first stage of what is likely to be a long, drawn out legal process.