Provincial Court orders unification of nursing home cases in Madrid

The court centralizes investigations into healthcare assistance during the pandemic in a single Madrid court.

Generic image of a judge's gavel on legal documents in a courtroom.
IA

Generic image of a judge's gavel on legal documents in a courtroom.

The Provincial Court of Madrid has ordered the Court of Instruction number 5 of Móstoles to transfer its investigation into nursing homes to Court of Instruction number 3 of Madrid.

The judicial ruling addresses a jurisdictional issue regarding proceedings linked to the alleged discriminatory denial of healthcare to elderly people during the health crisis. The Court has determined that there is a direct connection between the facts investigated in both jurisdictions.
The measure aims to ensure consistent administration of justice and prevent contradictory rulings. According to the court, the Criminal Procedure Law supports joint processing when the relationship between the facts suggests a unified trial to facilitate the investigation and determine potential liabilities.
This decision marks a shift in criteria compared to a previous ruling by the First Section of the same Court, which in April rejected grouping over twenty similar cases. The lack of uniformity in judicial criteria has drawn criticism from the legal representatives of the affected families.