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South Korea ferry disaster: prosecutors seek death penalty for captain | South Korea ferry disaster: prosecutors seek death penalty for captain |
(about 9 hours later) | |
South Korean prosecutors have sought the death penalty for the captain of a ferry that capsized in April, leaving 304 people, most of them schoolchildren, dead or missing. | |
Lee Joon-seok, 68, has been charged with homicide. The prosecution told the court he should be sentenced to death for failing to carry out his duty, before resting its case in a trial that has taken place amid intense public anger towards the crew. | |
Lee was among 15 accused of abandoning the sharply listing ferry after telling the passengers to stay put in their cabins. Four, including the captain, face homicide charges. | Lee was among 15 accused of abandoning the sharply listing ferry after telling the passengers to stay put in their cabins. Four, including the captain, face homicide charges. |
The rest face lesser charges, including negligence. A three-judge panel is expected to announce its verdicts in November. No formal pleas have been made but Lee has denied intent to kill. | The rest face lesser charges, including negligence. A three-judge panel is expected to announce its verdicts in November. No formal pleas have been made but Lee has denied intent to kill. |
There have been no executions in South Korea since 1997 despite several death sentences in recent years. | |
“Lee supplied the cause of the sinking of the Sewol … he has the heaviest responsibility for the accident,”said lead prosecutor Park Jae-eok. “We ask that the court sentence him to death.” | |
The prosecutors sought life sentences for the other three charged with homicide, and prison terms varying from 15 to 30 years for the rest. | The prosecutors sought life sentences for the other three charged with homicide, and prison terms varying from 15 to 30 years for the rest. |
The Sewol capsized and sank on a routine voyage on 16 April, triggering an outpouring of nationwide grief and sharp criticism of the government of President Park Geun-hye for its handling of the rescue operation. The crew members on trial have said they thought it was the coastguard’s job to evacuate passengers. | |