The trial for the sinking of the ARA San Juan began this Tuesday in the city of Río Gallegos, Santa Cruz, where the headquarters of the Federal Oral Criminal Court is located. It aims to determine the criminal responsibilities for the tragedy that occurred in November 2017. Luis Tagliapietra, the lawyer representing the 32 relatives grouped in the lawsuit, stated that 'the reading of the indictment is being carried out and the word will be given to the different parties, in case any of them has to raise preliminary issues.' Tomorrow the trial will continue with the production of testimonies,' he indicated in statements to the Argentine News Agency. The trial will determine the authorities responsible for the death of the 44 crew members of the submarine: among the accused are four former chiefs of the Argentine Navy for 'alleged failure to fulfill official duties,' 'omission of duties of the office,' and 'culpable aggravated homicide by result.' On the other hand, both the prosecution and the plaintiffs point to 'negligence in maintenance' of the vessel because there were critical failures and they assure that the submarine would not have been in optimal conditions to navigate. This trial includes more than 100 witnesses, encrypted film footage of the submarine's discovery by the vessel Ocean Infinity, documentation under military secrecy, and the testimony of an expert from the German industrial and technology company Thyssen-Krupp, a leader in engineering and steel production. The hearings will be held until Friday, March 6, to resume activity in 15 days. It is estimated that these hearings will be held every other week and that the verdict could be known around the month of July. 'The court must resolve, otherwise, and surely that will be fulfilled with today's session.'
