Sentenced to life imprisonment of murdering 304 people
The Captain of the South Korean ferry that sunk last year was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of 304 people.
Sewol ferry was carrying 476 people when it went down off the south-west island of Jindo on April 16, 2014. Of the 304 who confirmed dead or still listed as missing, 250 were students. The tragedy shocked and enraged the country as it became clear that it was almost entirely man-made – the result of an illegal redesign, an overloaded cargo bay, an inexperienced crew and an unhealthy nexus between operators and state regulators’.
The Captain had been found guilty in last November of gross negligence and sentenced to 36 years, but relatives of the dead were furious he was not convicted of murder. Therefore the S.Korea court overturned earlier negligence conviction and sentenced the Sewol captain to life in prison on a murder charge.
Also read what international media report:
BBC –Sewol ferry: S Korea court gives captain life sentence for murder
Reuters – S.Korea court finds ferry captain guilty of homicide for 304 deaths
ABC News – South Korean court finds captain of sunken ferry guilty of murdering 304 people
