Suspected smugglers on trial over deadliest migrant tragedy in France
Paris trial begins over deadly Channel tragedy, with 14 facing charges for manslaughter.
The trial for the accident involving at least 31 migrants and asylum seekers killed while trying to reach the United Kingdom has begun, with 14 men facing smuggling-related charges.
Some 114 civil parties, including victims’ families, are involved in the trial that opened on Tuesday. The incident was the deadliest disaster on record involving asylum seekers crossing the Channel separating France and the UK.
Twenty-seven people died after their inflatable dinghy deflated in one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes on November 24, 2021. Two men survived, and four others were left unaccounted for.
The 14 defendants face charges including manslaughter and “facilitating illegal immigration as part of an organised gang”. Only nine suspects were present at the opening of the trial in a Parisian court, one of whom was in custody. The trial is expected to last three weeks.