Nightclub Owners to Be Tried in Collapse That Killed 236

The sibling owners of the Santo Domingo nightclub where a roof collapse killed 236 people and injured more than 100 last year will stand trial for involuntary manslaughter, a judge ruled Monday. Antonio and Maribel Espaillat, who own Jet Set nightclub, could face up to two years in prison if found guilty, the AP reports. The April 8, 2025, collapse reverberated across the Dominican Republic, with authorities working frantically for days to reach people under the rubble. The ruling Monday by Magistrate Reymundo Mejía Zorrilla of the First Court of Instruction of the National District in Santo Domingo drew frustration from victims' relatives who were hoping for homicide charges that carry stiffer penalties of up to 20 years in prison.

The ruling said that the case did not warrant a homicide charge because that would indicate the defendants knew their negligence would cause the deaths of the victims. If they could have foreseen the roof collapse, "logic and reason" suggest they would not have endangered their own lives in addition to those of the victims, the ruling said. About 30 relatives of the victims had gathered at the courthouse ahead of the hearing, holding hands and praying. The Espaillats will be tried together. No date has been set for the trial.