Section 2 of the Civil and Investigation Division of the Court of First Instance in Villena (Alicante) provisionally discontinued the preliminary criminal investigation (sobreseimiento provisional) against the mayor Fulgencio Cerdán and other officials. The case followed a complaint by the Asociación para la Defensa del Estado de Derecho y la Lucha contra la Corrupción (ADED) following the theft from the Museo de Villena.
According to the court order, the evidence available so far is insufficient to continue prosecuting the political and professional officials responsible. The decision concerns only the Diligencias directed at officials and museum staff. It is not final and may be appealed.
ADED had reported the mayor of Villena, the museum management and other officials over allegedly inadequate security measures. After the decision became known, the organisation announced that it would appeal the discontinuance. The order does not assess the substance of the allegations; it records that there are currently insufficient grounds for continuing this specific case.
The background is a high-profile museum robbery: during the night of 27 August 2026, parts of the Tesoro de Villena were stolen from the Museo de Villena. The collection is a significant assemblage of Bronze Age gold and silver. Independently of the current suspension of proceedings against public officials, the Guardia Civil continues to investigate who committed the crime and where the artefacts are. This criminal investigation is unaffected by the order of the Court of First Instance in Villena.
At municipal level, Villena Town Council unanimously set up an investigative commission in early September 2026 to review security protocols and previous assessments on protecting the collection. The Generalitat Valenciana said it would assess the documents supplied by the town hall. Both steps aim to identify possible organisational or technical weaknesses, independently of the procedural status of any individuals.
The fact is that the provisional discontinuance on 21 October 2026 concerns the Diligencias against named officials. Attributed positions: ADED stands by its allegations and intends to appeal. It would be premature to predict any further decisions; new evidence or findings by the Guardia Civil could change the procedural position. The order therefore marks an interim stage, not the conclusion of the overall investigation.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).