Overview
- The Juzgado de lo Penal No. 2 de León issued a 505-page verdict on November 18 that finds no criminal liability and acquits all 16 defendants of homicide by gross negligence, serious injury, and labor-safety offenses.
- The sentence also absolves Hullera Vasco Leonesa of subsidiary civil responsibility and clears the insurers named as directly liable.
- The ruling arrives after a prolonged gap since the two‑month trial held in March 2023, a delay widely attributed to the presiding judge’s extended medical leave.
- Relatives of the six miners expressed deep disappointment and say they are evaluating an appeal, with legal sources noting that civil claims remain available.
- The case stems from an October 28, 2013 methane gas release at the Emilio del Valle shaft that killed six miners and injured eight at roughly 620–700 meters underground.