Death of De Miguel, the Owono goalkeeper could be investigated for manslaughter

The Policia Nacional has opened an investigation after the death of Jesus De Miguel who died after a violent clash with the Andorra goalkeeper, Jesus Owono. According to the Spanish press, the investigation is a necessary action. Owono was sent off after his intervention in which he tried to anticipate his opponent in mid-field. The police informed that the matter is under judicial supervision, with the hypothesis of manslaughter. The chief prosecutor of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Josè Luis Sanchez-Jaregui, however, considers it "very difficult to open criminal proceedings", since "injuries in sports are not punishable, except in the case of voluntary aggression during stopped play", citing consolidated jurisprudence on the matter of the Spanish Supreme Court.

Goalkeeper Owono risks prosecution

In Tenerife, the magistrate awaits the decision of the sports judge, who, also based on the referee's report, will have to establish whether there was dangerous play in the action and whether Owono acted with the intention of causing damage. According to the regulations, even unintentional violent action could be punished with a ban of up to 12 days if it caused serious injury or damage, but there is no automatic sanction for the death of a player. De Miguel's family members, who will be able to file a complaint, are experiencing dramatic moments, but what happened at the 'Heliodoro Rodríguez Lopez' stadium has also deeply affected the goalkeeper, who will have to live with the consequences of an act that ended in the worst possible way. "He is in a state of absolute shock", those close to him told the Spanish media, revealing that Owono would have liked to contact his family but de Miguel's sudden death completely changed the situation. The Guinean was overwhelmed by a wave of insults on social media, which forced him to delete all his accounts. Some even called him a “murderer.”

In '81 the Martina-Antognoni case

The story is reminiscent of the serious but not very dramatic one in 1981 involving Genoa goalkeeper Silvano Martina and Viola midfielder Giancarlo Antognoni, whose heart stopped beating for about 30 seconds after a game clash. Martina ended up on trial in Florence for serious injuries and was fully acquitted after three degrees of judgment "because the fact does not exist". Antognoni never pointed the finger at his colleague, in fact claiming several times that he was "not at fault".