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| Captain of Doomed Korean Ferry Sentenced to 36 Years in Prison | Captain of Doomed Korean Ferry Sentenced to 36 Years in Prison |
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| GWANGJU, South Korea — The captain of the South Korean ferry that sank last April, killing 304 people, most of them high school students on a field trip, was sentenced on Tuesday to 36 years in prison for deserting his ship and its passengers in a fatal crisis. | GWANGJU, South Korea — The captain of the South Korean ferry that sank last April, killing 304 people, most of them high school students on a field trip, was sentenced on Tuesday to 36 years in prison for deserting his ship and its passengers in a fatal crisis. |
| The 69-year-old captain, Lee Jun-seok, “abandoned his passengers, knowing that they were waiting for instructions from the crew and that if they were not evacuated, their lives would be at risk,” said the presiding judge, Lim Joung-youb. | The 69-year-old captain, Lee Jun-seok, “abandoned his passengers, knowing that they were waiting for instructions from the crew and that if they were not evacuated, their lives would be at risk,” said the presiding judge, Lim Joung-youb. |
| But in his ruling, which capped the five-month trial of 15 crew members of the ferry Sewol, the judge rejected the murder charge against Mr. Lee and the death penalty that prosecutors had sought. Instead, he convicted the captain of failing to take the steps required to save passengers in an emergency. | But in his ruling, which capped the five-month trial of 15 crew members of the ferry Sewol, the judge rejected the murder charge against Mr. Lee and the death penalty that prosecutors had sought. Instead, he convicted the captain of failing to take the steps required to save passengers in an emergency. |
| Mr. Lim, the judge, also handed down sentences of 15 to 30 years in prison for three other senior crew members: the first mate, Kang Won-sik; the second mate, Kim Young-ho; and the chief engineer, Park Gi-ho. He gave sentences of 5 to 10 years to 11 other crew members for accidental homicide, criminal negligence and other charges. | Mr. Lim, the judge, also handed down sentences of 15 to 30 years in prison for three other senior crew members: the first mate, Kang Won-sik; the second mate, Kim Young-ho; and the chief engineer, Park Gi-ho. He gave sentences of 5 to 10 years to 11 other crew members for accidental homicide, criminal negligence and other charges. |
| “You call that law? That’s nonsense,” several relatives of the victims shouted when the ruling was announced. | “You call that law? That’s nonsense,” several relatives of the victims shouted when the ruling was announced. |
| “Why don’t you just free them so we can punish them ourselves?” an angry father shouted at the judge. | “Why don’t you just free them so we can punish them ourselves?” an angry father shouted at the judge. |
| The trial of the 15 crew members was perhaps the most emotionally fraught legal case South Koreans have ever experienced. When the 6,825-ton Sewol sank off the southwestern coast of South Korea on April 16,the ferry was carrying twice as much cargo as legally allowed, and much of the cargo was poorly secured. | |
| Most of the victims died after the crew repeatedly urged them to stay in the vessel. All the ship’s 15 navigational crew members, including the captain, shipmates and engineers, fled on the first coast guard rescue boats arriving at the scene. | Most of the victims died after the crew repeatedly urged them to stay in the vessel. All the ship’s 15 navigational crew members, including the captain, shipmates and engineers, fled on the first coast guard rescue boats arriving at the scene. |
| During the trial, Mr. Lee and the senior crew all tearfully apologized for their poor seamanship but insisted that they never intended to commit murder. Their lawyers argued that prosecutors were scapegoating the crew over the sinking, which outraged the country as no other disaster had before. | During the trial, Mr. Lee and the senior crew all tearfully apologized for their poor seamanship but insisted that they never intended to commit murder. Their lawyers argued that prosecutors were scapegoating the crew over the sinking, which outraged the country as no other disaster had before. |