A judge in Catalonia has
ordered the reopening of criminal proceedings in relation to a
coach crash last March in which 13 young students including
seven Italians were killed, Spanish media reported on Thursday.
The driver, who was badly injured in the crash and allegedly
told first responders he had fallen asleep at the wheel, will
now be heard in court for the first time.
In his Thursday ruling the judge upheld an appeal by the
victims' families for the case to be reopened following its
dismissal by a preliminary investigations judge last October on
grounds there were no criminal charges to answer.
Investigators had initially opened a probe against the driver
for multiple manslaughter.
The victims' families hailed the news on Thursday.
"I hope the investigation will now clarify everything. The
tragedy didn't happen by chance but because of a journey that
that been organised in a crazy manner with a murderous
timetable," said Paolo Bonello, father of Genoese medical
student Francesca, 23, one of the Italian victims of the
accident.
The bus was taking a group of Erasmus exchange students back
to their base in Barcelona after a 24-hour round trip to
Valencia for the city's famous Fallas festival.
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