The Brazilian company Vale S.A., the mine's operator and world's largest iron ore exporter, is under investigation by the Brazilian public prosecutor's office. In order to clarify TÜV SÜD's responsibility, five Brazilians who lost close family members in the dam failure, ECCHR and MISEREOR filed a criminal complaint against a TÜV SÜD employee, as well as a law infringement complaint against TÜV SÜD, with the public prosecutor in Munich. Brazilian organizations Associacão Jangada and International Articulation of People Affected by Vale support the complaints. Lawyer Bernhard Docke and Professor Carsten Momsen represent those affected in the supplementary lawsuit.

Those affected by the breach, ECCHR and MISEREOR accuse TÜV SÜD of having contributed to the dam failure near Brumadinho in the complaints. Despite obvious safety risks, TÜV SÜD did not prevent its Brazilian subsidiary from issuing the required dam stability declaration...