Spanish police have launched an investigation into the death of Tenerife forward — media
Kyiv • UNN
Spanish police are investigating the death of Tenerife forward Jesús de Miguel following a collision with Andorra’s goalkeeper. This could result in up to 4 years in prison.
The Spanish National Police have launched an investigation into the death of Tenerife forward Jesús de Miguel following a collision with goalkeeper Jesús Owono during a match against Andorra, which is owned by Gerard Piqué. Under Spanish law, the goalkeeper could face up to four years in prison. UNN reports this, citing Spanish media.
Police have launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the footballer's death, which occurred as a result of a serious collision with Andorra goalkeeper Jesús Owono. According to police sources who spoke to the EFE news agency, the investigation is currently under judicial supervision
Sources for the publication at the High Court of the Canary Islands explained that any death whose cause is not considered natural—whether resulting from an accident or other circumstances—automatically leads to the opening of judicial proceedings, as happened in this case.
The publication adds that Santa Cruz de Tenerife Chief Prosecutor José Luis Sánchez-Jáuregui said that bringing criminal proceedings over the footballer's death would be "very difficult" because the collision occurred during a match.
He added that the findings of the Sports Disciplinary Commission must first be examined.
Speaking to the EFE news agency, Sánchez-Jáuregui referred to long-standing precedents of the Supreme Court, according to which injuries sustained while engaging in sport are generally not punishable, except in cases such as one player deliberately assaulting another while play is stopped.
The prosecutor said that the first step would be to examine the referee's report, followed by awaiting the decision of the Sports Disciplinary Commission.
In particular, he said, it would be necessary to establish whether the commission deemed the incident that caused the fatal injury dangerous or negligent, as well as whether it believed that Owono had struck De Miguel with the intention of causing harm.
Update
UNN reported that Jesús de Miguel, a forward for Spanish club Tenerife, died at the age of 30 after suffering cardiac arrest following a collision during a match against Andorra.
In the seventh minute of the match, Andorra goalkeeper Jesús Owono collided knee-first with Tenerife forward Jesús de Miguel. De Miguel lay motionless while players from both teams called for medical assistance. Owono was shown a straight red card.
Andorra, which is owned by former Barcelona and Spain defender Gerard Piqué, said it was deeply shocked by the death of Jesús de Miguel.
We understand that no words can ease such pain, but we want them to know that we stand by them and deeply share their sorrow. We also want to express our full support for Tenerife, its players, coaching staff, employees and fans. We are deeply shocked by what happened and share the pain the club is going through. We have been in contact with them from the very first moment and are ready to provide any assistance needed. We are likewise maintaining contact with La Liga, the government of Andorra and the relevant organizations to offer our full cooperation and the necessary support during these extremely difficult times. We have also requested that the upcoming match against Mallorca be postponed, as we believe these are moments of profound grief in which respect and support for everyone affected must prevail
According to COPE, Andorra goalkeeper Owono is currently unable to recover from the tragic incident. The Equatorial Guinea national team player has deactivated his Instagram account and wants to apologize personally to the family of the Tenerife forward before making any public statements.
Sport.es reported that Owono could face criminal prosecution. The publication noted that, from a legal standpoint, the severity of the injuries does not automatically mean that a crime has been committed. However, Spain's Criminal Code allows for prosecution if it is proven that the conduct went beyond the risks inherent in participating in sport.
Article 142 of the Criminal Code provides for a prison sentence of one to four years for a person who causes the death of another person through gross negligence. In cases of less serious negligence, fines ranging from three to eighteen months are prescribed.
To apply these provisions, it is necessary to prove that the footballer committed a criminally relevant breach of his duty of care and that there is a causal link between his conduct and the resulting consequence. Case law distinguishes between accidents inherent in competitions and actions that clearly go beyond the ordinary risks. A foul for which a red card is shown is not necessarily a crime, but neither is it automatically excluded from a possible criminal investigation. In the Owona case, the analysis of video recordings, the position of the ball, the manner in which the jump was performed, and the actual possibilities of avoiding the collision will be crucial. Medical findings and expert examinations will also be important in determining the consequences of the impact