Was the danger misjudged? Five people charged over landslide in Bondo GR

The public prosecutor's office in Graubünden has charged five people with multiple counts of negligent homicide in the case of the landslide in Bondo GR. The former mayor also has to answer for her actions.

Keystone-SDA

25.07.2024, 17:27

25.07.2024, 18:39

SDA

Eight people died in the devastating landslide in Bondo GR in 2017. The Maloja Regional Court must now find out whether the five defendants were in breach of duty in misjudging the danger situation before the landslide by not closing the hiking trails in advance. The Graubünden public prosecutor's office confirmed a corresponding statement by the "Beobachter" on Thursday evening at the request of the Keystone-SDA news agency.

The accused include employees of the Graubünden Office for Forests and Natural Hazards (AWN) and the incumbent National Councillor Anna Giacometti (FDP), as can be seen from an excerpt of the indictment provided to Keystone-SDA. Giacometti was the mayor of Bondo at the time of the landslide.

The accused include employees of the Graubünden Office for Forests and Natural Hazards and the incumbent National Councillor Anna Giacometti (FDP), as can be seen from an excerpt of the indictment obtained by Keystone-SDA. Giacometti was the mayor of Bondo when the landslide occurred.

Second trial

In 2019, the public prosecutor's office in Graubünden closed a criminal investigation into the Bondo case on the grounds that the landslide was not foreseeable. The public prosecutor's office relied on a 73-page report by the AWN that was prepared after the event.

However, AWN employees who could have been considered as defendants in the criminal proceedings were involved in this report. In 2021, relatives of the eight buried mountaineers finally succeeded in getting the Federal Supreme Court to order the public prosecutor's office to go over the books again.

In January of this year, the public prosecutor's office finally opened new criminal proceedings. The investigators based their decision on a new external report by an independent geologist, which stated that the landslide had been "heralded by numerous precursors". The authorities had taken an "unacceptable risk" by not closing hiking trails in advance.

The results of the report by Vaud geologist Thierry Oppikofer became known in December 2023.

Now it's time for the trial

The five defendants must now stand trial before the Maloja Regional Court. They face up to three years in prison or a fine for negligent homicide.

In January 2024, the AWN commented on the renewed criminal proceedings: "The cantonal administration has a great interest in ensuring that the proceedings are expedited quickly and that clarity can be created for all those affected." The administration will contribute to this with the necessary support.