As of 2am of Tuesday, 8 April 2025, the National Forensic Sciences Institute (Inacif) was against the worst catastrophe handled in its history. The collapse of the roof of the JetSet Club presented an unprecedented challenge the pathologists were not prepared for.
The corpses would be delivered to the Inacif to carry out the autopsies and the slow and tedious legal procedures to certify these persons as dead and indicate the causes of death. The delays in handing the corpses to the grieving families caused the relatives to despair.
The media shared the pain and sorrow and frustration of the relatives who awaited the bodies to be delivered to them. Attorney General Yeni Berenice Reynoso one evening was at the Inacif to listen to the relatives and express her solidarity and urge these to be patient.
On Sunday, 13 April 2025, the Minister of Public Health Victor Atallah and the director of the lnacif, Dr. Santos Jiménez Páez, announced that by noon on Saturday, 12 April the pending autopsies of the victims of the tragedy had concluded and the corpses were delivered to the relatives.
Minister of Public Health Victor Atallah explained during a press conference on Sunday, 13 April 2025:
“As promised, 226 autopsies were completed in 48 hours, instead of the two or three weeks these normally would have taken”, he said. He attributed this to the “tireless work of a dedicated team of doctors, technicians and support staff from various institutions.”
He highlighted that the team was committed to completing the process in accordance with established protocols, while also responding to the urgency and anguish of grieving families seeking justice, proper attention, and the swift return of their loved ones’ remains.
The Dominican Society of Pathology (Sodopa) had reminded the grieving relatives that there was a protocol that needed to be followed, as reported in Diario Libre. Sodopa had issued a statement on Friday, 11 April 2025 emphasizing the legal obligation to conduct judicial autopsies in such cases to ensure the precise and indisputable identification of the deceased.
In the official statement, the organization reminded the public that the General Law on Judicial Autopsies 136-80, serves as the current legal framework governing these procedures. It mandates that autopsies be carried out by certified forensic doctors, following strict technical and legal protocols.
“We understand the anguish and desperation experienced by the victims’ families during such difficult times, but it is vitally important to follow due process and ensure the correct identification of each individual,” Sodopa stated. The message was signed by the organization’s board, led by its president, Dr. José Miguel Cruz-Arias.
Read more in Spanish:
El Nacional
Diario Libre
Diario Libre
Listin Diario
14 April 2025