No criminal charges to be brought as a result of the Berkeley tragedy

A US District Attorney has ruled that no criminal charges should be brought about as a result of the tragic balcony collapse in Berkeley that claimed the lives of six Irish students last summer.

The District Attorney of Alameda County will not file criminal charges in relation to the collapse of a balcony on the Library Gardens apartment block during a 21^st birthday party, an incident that claimed the lives of Eoghan Culligan, Nick Schuster, Lorcán Miller, Ashley Donohoe, Olivia Burke and Eimear Walsh, with seven others seriously injured as a result. According to RTE, following a nine-month investigation, it was deemed that there was insufficient evidence to bring criminal charges against any one individual or company. In a statement, Alameda County District Attorney Nancy O’Malley said: “Not a day has passed… that I have not thought of the victims and their families. I am keenly aware of the devastation and injuries each victim and each family suffered and continues to confront. “Friends, families and entire communities both in California and in Ireland have been affected by the horror of that day.” It was "not a decision that I came to lightly,” O’Malley added. “It is the culmination of months of consultation with my team of attorneys. It follows extensive review of reports, both legal and factual, and numerous meetings with investigators and experts.” While no criminal charges have been brought, the parents of the victims of the Berkeley tragedy have already signalled their intent to file lawsuits in the state of California against 35 defendants implicated in the tragedy, including a number of various construction and property companies. A recent report found that 400 properties in the City of Berkeley – 18% of the properties in the city – were officially deemed unsafe.