The five people arrested after the deadly stampede on May 20 at a stadium in The Savior They were released on Friday after a financial agreement with the families of the victims, and the death toll from the tragedy was revised to 9 dead instead of 12. “We have reached a full agreement with the families of the victims. They have withdrawn manslaughter and involuntary injuries charges,” one of the defense attorneys, Miguel Anaya, told reporters.
The five people arrested on May 25 are the president and two other employees of the Alianza soccer club, and two employees of the Cuscatlán stadium, where the tragedy occurred. “Everyone is released by order of the court,” added the lawyer. According to him, the family of each deceased person will receive between 5,000 and 10,000 dollars, and the injured 30 dollars per day of disability.
The death toll from the accident has also been revised to 9 dead, instead of the initial 12. A source from the prosecution explained to the press that this “erroneous information” was due to the “confusion” that reigned after the disaster, when dozens of injured people overwhelmed hospitals.
The tragedy occurred in the Cuscatlán stadium, one of the largest in Central America, with 35,000 seats. Prosecutors accused club and stadium employees of selling more tickets on the black market than available seats, a common practice in El Salvador. The stampede occurred when the rejected supporters broke through a gate to force their way into the sports stadium. More than 500 people were injured.
After this disaster, the Salvadoran Football Federation fined the Alianza club a $30,000 fine and a year of games behind closed doors, and decided to stop the national championship. A committee of experts from FIFA and Concacaf is expected to arrive in El Salvador on June 14 for a security audit mission at the country’s stadiums.
The Prosecutor’s Office will appeal the court’s decision.
The Attorney General of the Republic (FGR) of El Salvador announced that it will appeal the decision of the court that dismissed the criminal proceedings against the five detainees. “The FGR will file an appeal against the result obtained this day, in the case of the tragedy, which occurred at the Cuscatlán Stadium. Those responsible will continue to be detained,” the entity published on its social networks. “All legal tools will continue to be used to ensure that justice is done,” he adds.
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