15 crew indicted over SKorean ferry disaster

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP-Excite

By HYUNG-JIN KIM

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Prosecutors indicted the captain of the sunken South Korean ferry and three crew members on homicide charges Thursday, alleging they were negligent and failed to protect more than 300 people missing or dead in the disaster. Less serious indictments were issued against the 11 other crew members responsible for navigating the vessel.

Capt. Lee Joon-seok and the other homicide defendants — a first mate, a second mate and the chief engineer — could face the death penalty if convicted, according to the Supreme Court, though no one has been executed in South Korea since 1997.

The 11 others were indicted for alleged negligence and abandoning passengers in need when the ship sank on April 16, according to prosecutors.

The indictment was filed Thursday in Gwangju District Court and a trial date will be decided in a few days, according to a court official who requested anonymity due to department rules. The official said all 15 defendants are expected to be tried together.

FULL story at link.


Read more: http://apnews.excite.com/article/20140515/south_korea-ship_sinks-c530bde17f.html

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A high school student reads massages written on ribbons for the victims of the sunken ferry Sewol at a group memorial altar in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, May 15, 2014. Prosecutors indicted the captain of the sunken South Korean ferry and three crew members on homicide charges Thursday, alleging they were negligent and failed to protect more than 300 people missing or dead in the disaster. Less serious indictments were issued against the 11 other crew members responsible for navigating the vessel.(AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

[davidpdx]

1. They also need to look into the lack of regulations that allowed the company to load

3 times the maximum weight allowed of cargo. I wouldn't hold my breath in terms of that happening though.