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Date Published: 03/06/2022

ARCHIVED - Skipper of immigrant boat that sank off Mazarron coast claiming the lives of 11 people faces 8 years in jail

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Only three people survived when the boat capsised near Percheles beach in the Region of Murcia last year

<span style='color:#780948'>ARCHIVED</span> - Skipper of immigrant boat that sank off Mazarron coast claiming the lives of 11 people faces 8 years in jail

The Public Prosecutors' Office has requested that the skipper of an immigrant boat that sank off the coast of Mazarrón claiming the lives of 11 people, be jailed for eight years.

The perilous crossing ended in tragedy 5km from Percheles beach in March last year; only three people survived, one of whom was the skipper who was remanded in prison.

In the days following the disaster, bodies began to appear on the coast of Murcia and Almeria as the extent of the human loss became apparent.

This week, the prosecution claimed that "after several hours of navigation and when they were about five kilometres from the coast, the accused, in order to reach land quickly, increased the speed and water began to enter the fragile boat, which began to sink. The accused threw himself into the water holding on to one of the empty petrol cans that was on the boat, leaving all the occupants of the boat to their fate".

Also read: Andalucia court slashes jail terms for two immigrant skippers because the boats were deemed safe

Throughout the night following the sinking, emergency personnel, Red Cross and Maritime Rescue searched for the rest of the survivors, but were were only able to rescue two others.

The court heard that five months later, in August 2021, the National Police dismantled a network dedicated to the illegal trafficking of people from Algeria to the Spanish coast.

Officers discovered that the detainees had "an exhaustive knowledge of the geography of the Almeria coast, using a network of caves in the area to shelter the migrants".

The sea routes back to Algeria were also used to smuggle and transport drugs, as well as Algerians fleeing from European justice out of Schengen territory. Detectives then linked the organisation to the death of the 11 people in the waters off Mazarrón.

The prosecutor concluded that "the facts constitute a crime against the rights of foreign citizens and seven crimes of reckless homicide".

For each of the crimes of reckless homicide a sentence of one year in prison has been requested along with 100,000 euros in compensation to the families of each of the victims.

Image: Salvamento Maritimo

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