Spain’s Supreme Court on Wednesday dismissed complaints accusing Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and six of his ministers of criminal negligence in connection to last year’s deadly floods in Valencia.
The court said there was no evidence that the prime minister was criminally liable for the disaster in which 228 people died. The ruling similarly clears European Commission Executive Vice President Teresa Ribera, who at the time of the floods was Sánchez’s deputy prime minister and who was among the Cabinet members named in the suits.
In the aftermath of the Oct. 29, 2024 tragedy, authorities determined that a warning message from the Valencia regional government had been sent too late for many who found themselves trapped in low-lying homes as the floodwaters rose. Uncontrolled urban development in the region was also blamed for channeling rainwater that overwhelmed communities built in vulnerable locations.
While expressing empathy with the plaintiffs who pursued legal action following the tragedy, the justices noted that criminal negligence accusations must be supported by evidence demonstrating “an abstract neglect of the victims.” The ruling also stressed that such cases cannot be based on evaluations of “discretionary decision-making” by the prime minister.
