Criminal charges dropped in Mexico hotel blast

Charmont continues to speak out on travel safety

    “Disappointed, disgusted, but not surprised,” is Terra Charmont’s reaction to a recent decision by a Mexican court not to proceed with criminal charges related to the November 2010 explosion at a hotel in Mexico that killed Terra’s husband and son, Chris and John Charmont.     According to media reports, the judge in the case refused the prosecutor’s request for arrest warrants for the five people charged with negligent homicide and professional misconduct.
    “We were informed of the decision that the charges would not be upheld. We were told we could pursue this in a civil court in Mexico,” said Charmont, however she doesn’t have much confidence in that avenue.
    “We would have to find a trustworthy lawyer in Mexico, a big challenge in itself as most are known as 'ambulance chasers' that are not qualified and just bleed you financially. Even the Consul can’t recommend one, only provide names. Also, we are concerned about safety risks to ourselves in a country that solves many legal issues with bullets and bribes. Finally, it is a well-known fact that Mexican law is built on an archaic judicial system that has become very corrupt. I have no problem fighting, but no desire to waste my strength in an unfair fight. Civil court is not a reasonable option for us.”
    While she is not sure what the next step is, she says she and other victims of the tragedy are galvanized.
    “The victims’ families have become closer, bonded by our sadness and frustration but grateful for each other's support,” she said.
    Despite the expected set back, Terra continues to spread awareness of the dangers of travelling to countries that do not have the same standards that most have come to expect.
    “Our goal now is to continue to raise awareness about the safety risks travelling to Mexico, and the severe lack of justice if anything goes wrong. We are tired and need to take a break. But then I will pressure our government to get more involved in demanding that Mexico do more to bring justice to our Canadian citizens who are being killed, raped, drugged and beaten every week,” she said.
    She adds, the Canadian Government and tour companies could do more to guarantee safety.
    “Foreign Affairs needs to offer Canadians more assistance than just bringing the bodies home and letting us know what officials have said. They need to get more involved in why these bodies are coming back and what is being done afterwards,” said Terra. “What does that look like? Maybe it’s tourism sanctions until Mexico allows us to try these cases fairly with Canadian representation. Maybe it will be making tourist booking companies more responsible for having safety checklists for the resorts they promote.”
    Terra recommends those who are looking at a vacation go to web sites such as mexicovacationawareness.com.