The craft set sail from Nuakchott carrying individuals from Mali, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Gambia, and Mauritania, and the deceased were cast into the sea.
Santa Cruz de Tenerife, 7 Mar. (Europa Press) –
The Cayuco, which was rescued nearly 700 kilometres from El Hierro Island in June last year, drifted for almost 20 days without access to water or food, leading to the deaths of over 80 migrants on board, who were subsequently thrown into the ocean.
This information is included in a document from the Prosecutor’s Office, which Europa Press has reviewed, regarding the commencement of a trial against five men of Senegalese nationality, alleged to be the boat’s captains, two of whom have been in custody since July.
According to the prosecution, these men charged approximately 150 individuals a fee to transport them to the Canary Islands aboard a Cayuco that departed from the Mauritanian coast on May 30, a vessel deemed “completely unfit” for such a journey. The prosecution highlights that the boat lacked navigation lights, flares, radar reflectors, and communication systems; it was equipped solely with a GPS device.
In fact, most of the occupants did not even have life jackets.
After five days at sea, the vessel was adrift “without food or fuel” until it was spotted by the oil tanker ‘Philipp Oldendorff’, which provided shelter until the arrival of the cruise ‘Insignia Master’, which rescued 68 people from Mali, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Gambia, and Mauritania, as well as the bodies of three deceased migrants.
The cruise reached the port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife at 5.30 pm on June 21, 2024, carrying 67 individuals showing signs of dehydration and one deceased individual, despite medical attention given on board the cruise.
The Prosecutor’s Office contends that the alleged captains were responsible for navigational tasks such as determining and monitoring the course by operating a GPS device, attempting to repair the sole engine while at sea, distributing food, and maintaining order aboard the ship.
Five defendants as boat captains
In fact, it is alleged that they ordered the disposal of an unspecified number of bodies into the sea—at least more than eighty (80)—of migrants who succumbed due to the lack of food and water.
The document indicates that the alleged captains posed a “serious risk to the life, health, and physical safety of the Cayuco occupants” as they were “fully aware” of the food and water shortages, the overcrowding of passengers, and the vessel’s structural deficiencies.
When the Cayuco was aided by the oil tanker, three deceased individuals of sub-Saharan origin were discovered, having died from pulmonary thromboembolism and multi-organ failure related to dehydration and hydroelectrolytic imbalance.
Upon arrival at Santa Cruz de Tenerife port, the body of a fourth migrant was located, and five survivors had to be rushed to two hospitals due to their critical health conditions.
The Prosecutor’s Office believes that the events constitute an aggravated offence of facilitating irregular immigration, four counts of manslaughter due to gross negligence, and five counts of bodily harm due to gross negligence, seeking cumulative sentences of over 20 years in prison and compensation of 150,000 euros to the heirs of each deceased individual.
