Former school director cannot pay earthquake victim reparations, offers forfeited land

Mónica García Villegas, the former director and owner of the Enrique Rébsamen school, known as Miss Moni, is unable to pay the approximately 11 million pesos in reparations owed to the families of victims of the school's collapse during the September 19, 2017 earthquake. Parents of students from the school confirmed in a hearing that Villegas stated she lacks the financial resources to cover the damages for the 26 lives lost. As a proposed form of compensation, Villegas offered the land where the school once stood. However, this property is currently involved in an asset forfeiture process, making it an unsuitable guarantee for the reparations. Mireya Rodríguez, mother of one of the victims, explained that the Mexico City government holds the land, and its status in the forfeiture process prevents Villegas from using it to satisfy the court-ordered payments. Miriam Guise, another mother, stated that Villegas claimed to have no other assets to offer during the hearing. Villegas is currently serving a sentence of 29 years, 5 months, and 22 days in prison for her conviction in the deaths of 19 students and seven adults when the school building collapsed.