Mexico Supreme Court declares Guardería ABC fire crimes unprescribed

On 18 June 2026 the Supreme Court of Mexico (SCJN) unanimously ruled that the offenses of homicide and culpable omission arising from the 5 June 2009 Guardería ABC fire in Hermosillo, Sonora, are imprescriptible because they constitute grave violations of children’s rights. The court stated that “the passage of time cannot impede the search for truth, access to justice or the integral reparation of the victims.”

The decision opens the way for continued criminal investigations against former officials, notably former IMSS director Sergio Antonio Salazar Salazar, who was previously detained. The ruling does not determine guilt, only that the statutes of limitation do not apply. Ministers Loretta Ortiz Ahlf, María Estela Ríos and Lenia Batres highlighted the tragedy’s link to systemic safety failures and the privatization model of the childcare system.

The 2009 blaze killed 49 children and injured 106, spreading from an adjacent warehouse due to blocked emergency exits, lack of smoke detectors and flammable materials. The SCJN’s judgment cites international human‑rights jurisprudence and affirms that the state must guarantee accountability regardless of the elapsed time.