New hearings are scheduled next week in Spain’s capital in the high-profile case concerning the mass deaths in nursing homes that occurred in 2020. Three former senior officials of the Madrid autonomous government are expected to appear in court to testify as suspects. They are accused of being involved in decisions which, according to the families of the victims, led to tragic consequences during the first wave of the pandemic.
Among those summoned are former Health Department directors Carlos Mur and Francisco Javier Martínez Peromingo, as well as former emergency services chief Pablo Busca. Their interrogations are set for Tuesday and Wednesday in two different regional courts. Families of the victims and advocacy groups fighting for justice emphasize that these are the first hearings of their kind in quite some time.
Prolonged investigation
The case involving the deaths of elderly residents in Madrid facilities had been in limbo for a long period. Many judges were awaiting a provincial court decision on the possibility of consolidating all incidents into a single major proceeding. As a result, the investigation was scattered across various jurisdictions, depending on where the incidents occurred. This led to numerous delays and the cancellation of previously scheduled hearings.
In May 2024, five years after the legal battle began, official charges were filed for the first time. Until then, the families of the victims feared their case would remain unanswered. However, the proactive stance of associations representing the relatives made it possible to achieve new progress in the investigation.
Key figures
During the pandemic, Carlos Mur held the position of Director of Coordination for Social and Medical Care. He signed four versions of triage protocols, which determined the order in which medical assistance was provided in residences. Francisco Javier Martínez Peromingo was the chief geriatrician responsible for preparing these documents. Pablo Busca headed the Summa 112 emergency service, which was responsible for transporting patients.
In addition to them, the case also involves former presidential advisor Antonio Burgueño, who previously headed the network of hospitals under Esperanza Aguirre. He was brought onto the pandemic response team but also found himself under investigation.
Legal battles
In June and May 2024, hearings were postponed several times. The suspects claimed they had not been given timely access to the case files, while the judges disputed which court should preside over the trial. As a result, the investigation was paralyzed for several months. It was only in the fall that the situation began to move forward, when lawyers for the families presented updated data on the number of courts that had brought charges against the former officials.
According to the latest data, Carlos Mur is named in eight cases, Francisco Peromingo in seven, Pablo Busca in six, and Antonio Burgueño in one. This list has remained unchanged since then. Importantly, the charges involve not only negligence but also possible discrimination in the provision of medical care.
Families’ response
Associations of victims’ relatives are closely following developments. They express hope that, after two failed attempts, interrogations will finally take place and former officials will provide explanations for decisions made during the height of the pandemic. In their statements, family representatives stress that this is a matter of discrimination against elderly residents of Madrid care homes, and they demand a fair investigation.
In the coming days, public attention will once again focus on the courts of Madrid and Collado Villalba, where key hearings are set to take place. Testimonies from former health officials are expected to shed light on the circumstances of the tragedy and provide answers to questions that have haunted victims’ families for years.
If you weren’t aware, Isabel Díaz Ayuso has served as president of the autonomous community of Madrid since 2019. During the pandemic, her administration faced sharp criticism for its handling of nursing homes. Carlos Mur, Francisco Peromingo, and Pablo Busca held key positions in the region’s healthcare system and were involved in creating the protocols that governed care for the elderly. The associations Marea de Residencias and Verdad y Justicia, which unite relatives of the victims, are actively calling for a thorough investigation into the circumstances of the tragedy.
