Dominican Prosecutor Says Current Penalties Are Too Lenient Ahead of Jet Set Trial

Rosalba Ramos, chief prosecutor for the National District in Santo Domingo, said the criminal penalties established under the Dominican Republic’s current Penal Code are insufficient for a case involving a tragedy on the scale of the Jet Set nightclub incident.

Speaking one month before the trial on the merits is scheduled to begin, Ramos confirmed that the Public Prosecutor’s Office will maintain its legal classification of the case as involuntary homicide. She said prosecutors have gathered the evidence necessary to support that charge throughout the judicial proceedings.

Current Law Limits Available Penalties

According to Ramos, while prosecutors believe the consequences of the incident warrant more severe punishment, they are legally required to prosecute the case under the legislation that was in effect when the events occurred. As a result, any sentence imposed must comply with the provisions of the current Penal Code applicable at the time.

The prosecutor emphasized that the legal framework restricts the range of penalties available, regardless of the seriousness of the tragedy or the number of victims involved.

New Penal Code Increases Sentences for Similar Cases

Ramos noted that the recently approved Dominican Penal Code represents a significant change for future cases involving similar circumstances. Under the new legislation, offenses of this nature can carry prison sentences of up to 10 years, exceeding the penalties available under the existing legal framework.

The upcoming trial is expected to be one of the most closely watched stages of the judicial process. Prosecutors will seek to establish the criminal responsibility of the defendants in connection with the Jet Set tragedy, which claimed dozens of lives and remains one of the country’s most significant criminal cases in recent years.