South Korean prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for the master of the ferry
Nautilus International has voiced alarm at reports that South Korean prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for the master of the ferry Sewol, which sank in April killing more than 300 people.
Captain Lee Joon-seok has been charged with homicide and prosecutors claim that he failed in his duty by leaving his vessel ‘without making any efforts to rescue passengers’.
Prosecutors asked for three other crew members to be sentenced to life imprisonment, and called for terms of between 15-30 years for the other 11 crew members who were tried on lesser charges.
The court is expected to deliver its verdict and sentences for all 15 crew members in November. No one has been executed in South Korea since 1997.
Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson said he was deeply disturbed to hear of the drastic sentences being sought by prosecutors. ‘From the outset, there has been a concerted drive to criminalise the captain and crew in this incident,’ he said, ‘and these extreme penalties take the practice of scapegoating seafarers to an unprecedented level.
‘It has become clear since the tragic loss of the Sewol that, as with many other maritime disasters, the causes are complex and it is totally unjust to single out seafarers for such treatment.
‘Issues including training, experience, safety management, ship design and construction, and the effectiveness of the regulatory regime are all critical factors in this disaster,’ he pointed out. ‘It is all-too easy for the South Korean authorities to pin the blame on the captain and crew, while ignoring deep-rooted underlying problems and the rush to this kind of kneejerk justice does no one any favours.
‘This disturbing situation is indicative of a regulatory process that has little regard for fair treatment of seafarers and no desire to really understand what happened and thus learn the necessary lessons to improve safety. There is a need for change now – there is an ineffective accident investigation process and an urgent need for a renewed push to improve ferry safety.’
Source: Nautilus International