The Supreme Court has acquitted a ensign of Ceuta that he had been sentenced to eight months’ suspension of employment for ending his watch ten minutes before a avalanche in El Tarajalbecause he complied with his schedule and it was not proven at what time the incident began to take place.
The events occurred on May 24, 2017. That day, the ensign was scheduled to monitor the service from 2:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., being he responsible, among other areas, for coordinating the area of the El Tarajal border post.
That day, he left the border post around 9:00 p.m. to continue in the Quartering of the La Puntilla Dock, at 9:20 p.m., and immediately afterwards go to the Ceuta Command Quartering, at 9:30 p.m. In both places he signed the guards.
The personnel who until then had controlled the porters trying to cross the border in the bus stop area left the El Tarajal area at the end of their service at 9:30 p.m., having received no indication from the ensign. Ten minutes later, there was an avalanche of porters at risk to people, although there were no injuries.
The lieutenant was sanctioned with eight months suspension of employment for very serious misconduct which consists of “failing to appear to provide a service, being absent from it or neglecting it, when due to its nature and circumstances it is of special relevance”, a penalty that was confirmed by the Central Military Court.