Spain’s National Court, the Audiencia Nacional, has opened criminal proceedings against the captain and two senior executives of the Galician fishing vessel Villa de Pitanxo, which sank off Newfoundland on 15 February 2022. Twenty-one of the 23 crew members died. Prosecutors are seeking nine-year prison terms for each of the three defendants and a combined €44 million in compensation for the victims’ families. The court has also ordered the accused to post a bond against potential civil liabilities. The sinking was one of the deadliest maritime tragedies in recent Spanish fishing history.
Judge Ismael Moreno has ordered Juan Enrique Padín, the vessel’s captain, and José Antonio Nores Ortega and José Antonio Nores Rodríguez, administrators of Pesquerías Nores Marín, to stand trial. The charges include 21 counts of grossly negligent homicide. Prosecutors also allege reckless injury and breaches of occupational-safety obligations, with document falsification among the charges. Pesquerías Nores Marín is named in connection with potential civil liability, while British Marine Luxembourg is identified as the direct insurer. These are allegations, not findings of guilt; the defendants retain the presumption of innocence as proceedings continue.
The indictment alleges that the defendants allowed the Villa de Pitanxo to operate in unsafe conditions, putting the crew at impressive risk. It alleges the vessel was overloaded, partly because of unauthorized fuel tanks absent from the ship’s original design. The modifications allegedly brought the waste hopper close to the waterline. Reduced freeboard, the vertical distance between the waterline and the deck edge, leaves less margin against waves and water ingress. Changes to loading and weight distribution can also affect a vessel’s stability. Whether the alleged modifications contributed to the sinking is among the basic questions in the case.
The incident unfolded in the early hours of 15 February 2022, when the basic engine lost power after the vessel developed a list of more than 35 degrees, information from the account of events in the case. A list is a vessel’s sustained tilt to one side. Emergency generators were activated, but the captain issued a distress call and ordered the crew to abandon ship. Most crew members tried to reach the lifeboats. Three survived after being rescued from a life raft. Four others in the raft had died, and five more bodies were later recovered from the sea. Autopsies found that seven victims had contracted COVID-19 at the time of the sinking.
The prosecution argues that the captain and company administrators authorized modifications to increase fuel capacity, exceeding the vessel’s permitted draft. It says those changes, together with inadequate safety measures, contributed to the disaster. The indictment describes rapid flooding and confusion on board as factors that hampered the crew’s escape attempts. The last AIS signal was sent at 4:23 a.m.; the vessel sank completely within minutes of the order to abandon ship.
The families of the deceased, represented by private prosecutors, have said they will seek harsher penalties, though many have welcomed the decision to proceed to trial. Only nine bodies were recovered, leaving many families without closure. The final pre-trial hearing is scheduled for July 28. The accused and company representatives are due to receive the formal indictment then and may submit their defense statements.
The case has drawn attention to persistent safety issues in Spain’s fishing sector, echoing concerns raised in other recent legal battles over public officials and accountability. Those include ongoing scrutiny of law enforcement leadership described in recent reports on judicial investigations. The proceedings will examine the alleged vessel modifications and decisions made during operations, while also addressing safety-management responsibilities and potential criminal and civil liability.
Spain’s fishing fleet is among Europe’s largest, and Galicia is a major hub for deep-sea operations. The tragedy has intensified calls for oversight of vessel modifications and crew-safety standards. The case also highlights how criminal proceedings intersect with compensation claims after a maritime disaster involving multiple parties and an international insurer. The families and the fishing industry are awaiting further developments as the case proceeds.
