A verdict of negligence rather than homicide on three senior officers of a South Korean ferry that sank in April killing more than 300 has angered many victims’ relatives as too lenient.
“Do you know how many children are dead?” one shouted during sentencing.
The Sewol’s captain, Lee Joon-seok, was jailed for 36 years. The other senior officers were given 15 and 20 years.
The chief engineer was convicted of homicide – for abandoning two injured colleagues – and given 30 years.
Some relatives demanded the prosecution appeal against the verdicts on all 15 crew members on trial.
The Sewol was carrying 476 people when it went down on 16 April. A total of 295 bodies have been retrieved. Nine people remain unaccounted for but the search has now been called off. Most of the dead were school students.
