“It is evident from the decision by the Coimbra Court of Appeal, announced today, that responsibility remains unassigned in the tragedy of June 17, 2017, marking a grim chapter in our country’s history,” stated André Batoca in a written declaration.
The Coimbra Court of Appeal has affirmed the acquittal of the 11 defendants in the Pedrógão Grande fire case, where the Public Prosecutor’s Office reported 63 deaths and 44 injuries warranting criminal proceedings.
The majority of the victims perished on National Road 236-1, which connects Figueiró dos Vinhos to Castanheira de Pera, with these municipalities and Pedrógão Grande being heavily affected by the fires.
A note from the Court confirms that the appeals were dismissed, upholding the decision of the Leiria Judicial Court on September 13, 2022.
On that date, the first-instance judge panel acquitted Augusto Arnaut, the commander of the Pedrógão Grande Volunteer Firefighters, two employees of the former EDP Distribution, now E-Redes (José Geria and Casimiro Pedro), and three from Ascendi (José Revés, Ugo Berardinelli, and Rogério Mota).
The absolution included former mayors of Castanheira de Pera and Pedrógão Grande, Fernando Lopes and Valdemar Alves, respectively, as well as the current mayor of Figueiró dos Vinhos, Jorge Abreu.
The former vice-president of Pedrógão Grande, José Graça, and the then head of the Forestry Department at the same council, Margarida Gonçalves, were also acquitted.
They were accused of crimes of negligent homicide and negligent bodily harm, some of which were severe.
André Batoca represents six plaintiffs who lost family members on National Road 236-1 (one lost his wife and two daughters, another lost five direct relatives).
A memorial listing the 115 fire victims of that year has been erected alongside this road.
The lawyer remarked, “despite all memorials that can be made, nothing prevents another tragedy, as Portugal seems forever prone to fire.”
“The only unpredictable and exceptional event was the death of 66 people and the hundreds injured, which should have been avoided by the defendants. Therefore, once again, justice was not served to the memory of the victims, nor was the respect they deserve,” added André Batoca.
The fires that erupted on June 17, 2017, in Pedrógão Grande and spread to neighboring areas resulted in the deaths of 66 people and injured 253, seven seriously. The fires destroyed roughly 500 homes and 50 companies.
In October of the same year, fires in the Central region caused 49 deaths and injured around 70 people, with the total or partial destruction of about 1,500 homes and over 500 companies.
