The widow of the Madrid Metro asbestos victim who started the case: "There has been money, but no justice"

It was his complaint that made people start talking about asbestos in the Madrid Metro.

Julián Martín, Eugenia Martín's husband, had already begun to show symptoms of intoxication from this toxic material in 2017 and, when the doctor asked him if he had been exposed to it, they had no hesitation in taking the case to court.

Thus they unleashed a process that has led the public company dependent on the Community of Madrid to sign a million-dollar agreement for compensation to the victims in exchange for not continuing with the criminal process.

This Wednesday, the Prosecutor's Office has requested the file of the case.

Julián died in 2018, before being able to see this outcome.

An ending that leaves his widow with great disappointment: "There has been money, but no justice, and I don't have the strength to go on alone."

Julián was one of the first two, but today there are 13 deaths and seven employees have been diagnosed with the disease.

After the agreement reached by the majority of those affected with the Community, Eugenia already knew that the Prosecutor's Office was going to request that the case be closed as it could not "attribute the facts to any specific charge".

But not because it was expected, the blow has been less harsh when verifying that no one will be condemned for leaving the workers of the underground unprotected due to exposure to asbestos.

More information

The prosecutor concludes that Metro acted with "absolute disregard" for the safety of workers in the asbestos case, but asks to file it

“The prosecutor says that there is a very complex hierarchy to determine who was exactly responsible, but who if not the risk prevention technicians?

And all the members of the board of directors when the first report was written in which it was communicated that asbestos existed in 2003?

When the investigation began, the hierarchy was just as complex, so I don't understand why that argument is used," says Eugenia.

“I understand that it is complex, but there has been a lot of time to investigate further,” she adds.

She and the family of the other deceased with whom the process began did not agree with the pact, because it included giving up criminal proceedings to settle responsibilities.

But given the change in position of the Prosecutor's Office and the rest of the families, her lawyer told her that she could not continue with the process alone.

“It has been a disappointment, an ending that we would never have expected,” she laments.

Juan Carlos de la Cruz, secretary of the Metro Worker Commissions, believes that this agreement entails, at least, "some dignity" for the victims.

“The Prosecutor's Office in his brief speaks of a 'management of contempt'.

Of course, we would have wanted someone in charge of the company to testify, but it is important that the crime is recognized and that Metro does not cause problems again in recognizing these professional illnesses”, he explains.

Like the Public Ministry, De la Cruz argues that the investigation to point out names and surnames among "so many CEOs of Metro, the transport consortium, the Community..." would have been tremendously complex and it is not known. if I had come to any conclusion.

Although he admits that "money does not buy life."

12:54

Documentary made by EL PAÍS VÍDEO on the case of Eugenia Martín and asbestos in the Madrid Metro.

Subscribe here

50% off

Subscribe to continue reading

read without limits

Keep reading

I'm already a subscriber