Supreme Court Orders Compensation for Victims' Families in Carmen de Patagones Massacre

Argentina's Supreme Court has mandated that the national and Buenos Aires provincial governments provide compensation to the families affected by the 2004 Carmen de Patagones school massacre. The tragic event unfolded on September 28, 2004, when 15-year-old Rafael Juniors Solich used his father's nine-millimeter pistol to fire on classmates in a first-year high school classroom.

The attack resulted in the deaths of three students and left five others wounded. The Supreme Court's decision, supported by justices Horacio Rosatti, Carlos Rosenkrantz, and Ricardo Lorenzetti, dismissed appeals lodged by the National State, represented by the Ministry of National Security, and the Buenos Aires Provincial Prosecutor's Office, acting for the provincial Directorate General of Culture and Education. This ruling pertains to the damages and losses lawsuit initiated by the mother of Sandra Núñez, one of the students killed in the incident.

This is not the first time the Supreme Court has ruled on this matter. Last year, the court issued a similar decision regarding the lawsuit filed by the family of Federico Ponce, another student who perished that day. The family of the third fatality, Evangelina Miranda, also pursued legal action against the State, with a first-instance ruling issued in October 2024.

Solich, who was declared inimputable by the court, stated during the proceedings, "When I shot, it wasn't me." The victims' families had sued both the school and the Naval Prefecture, as the weapon used belonged to Solich's father, a non-commissioned officer in the federal security force. Previous rulings by the Federal Justice of Bahía Blanca cited Article 1117 of the Civil Code, which established educational institutions' responsibility for damages involving minor students under their control, unless a force majeure event could be proven. Judges found that authorities had not demonstrated a diligent response to Solich's behavioral issues, despite evidence that school staff had noted his alarming conduct.

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When I shot, it wasn't me.