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Mexico Supreme Court declares Guardería ABC fire crimes non‑prescriptive
The Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation (SCJN) issued a unanimous ruling that the offenses arising from the June 5 2009 fire at the Guardería ABC in Hermosillo, Sonora are imprescriptible, meaning the statute of limitations does not apply.
The decision, based on a project presented by Minister Loretta Ortiz, classified the homicide and culpable‑negligence charges as grave violations of children’s human rights, rejecting the argument that the crimes had already prescribed.
President Claudia Sheinbaum praised the ruling as historic, stating that the court listened to victims and that the new judiciary vision guarantees equality before the law.
The Federal Prosecutor’s Office (FGR) announced it will continue criminal proceedings against two former IMSS officials – former director of economic and social benefits Sergio Antonio Salazar and former national coordinator of childcare Carla Rochín – for homicide and culpable‑negligence, emphasizing that the ruling strengthens access to justice for children.
The fire killed 49 children and injured more than 100 others; the court’s order reopens the possibility of future sanctions and further investigations.