Migrant Boat Captains Jailed in Tenerife Over Death and Injuries
Four boat captains received 5.5-year prison sentences in Tenerife for manslaughter, causing injuries, and facilitating illegal immigration after a migrant voyage from Senegal resulted in one death and multiple injuries.
Four men who captained a small boat carrying migrants have been sentenced to 5.5 years each in prison by a court in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. A body was found on the boat, and eleven other people were injured.
The sentences are broken down into three years for helping people enter the country illegally, and 2.5 years for homicide and causing serious injuries.
The court also ordered the four men to jointly pay €90,000 to the father of the person who died. They must also pay between €270 and €6,000 each to six of the injured passengers.
The court heard that the men were in charge of the boat, which left Senegal and arrived in southern Tenerife on July 2, 2023. There were 59 people on board, including five children.
Despite denying the charges, the court found the men guilty as co-authors of a plan to bring the boat to the Canary Islands.
The conviction relied on the testimony of seven passengers (out of 16 interviewed). They identified the men as being in charge of the boat, both when they arrived and later in court.
The defendants claimed they were farmers in Senegal who paid around €500 for the journey. They said they didn't know how to steer a boat, only wanted a better life for their families, and had met in prison.
They claimed they didn't know who organised the trip. Some said their parents bought their tickets, while others said they were given the captain's usual spot because they had back pain.
The prosecution had asked for a sentence of 15.5 years for each man, including time for facilitating illegal immigration, reckless homicide, and for each of the eleven people injured. The defense argued for acquittal due to lack of evidence.
The police noted that the defendants were not among the injured and appeared in better physical condition than the other passengers, suggesting they had steered the boat.
Witnesses also said the men had prevented the boat from turning back at the start of the journey, further indicating their responsibility.
Medical experts confirmed the death was caused by organ failure and dehydration. The injured suffered from infections, breathing problems, burns, and ulcers, some of which were "very serious" and took up to 51 days to heal.