Santa Cruz de Tenerife 2 Apr. (Press Europa) –
The Provincial Prosecutor of Santa Cruz de Tenerife is seeking a sentence of five and a half years’ imprisonment for the captain of a Cayuco who arrived in the Canary Islands with 51 migrants of sub-Saharan descent, six of whom were minors.
The indictment, as reported by Europa Press, indicates that the individual was responsible for operating the Cayuco, which reached the archipelago nearly ten hours after departing from the African coast, having been towed by a maritime rescue vessel.
The accused charged each migrant 300,000 African francs and was accountable for locating the passengers, maintaining order, distributing food and water, and instructing them not to speak against him once they arrived on Spanish shores.
The Cayuco lacked any safety measures for storing fuel, nautical equipment, position lights, and radar reflectors, and offered “limited space” for the journey with 52 individuals onboard.
In fact, the Prosecutor’s Office reveals that the migrants did not possess life jackets and were arranged on transverse shelves, posing a risk of capsizing due to internal movements, along with the danger of collisions in an area with heavy maritime traffic and inadequate lighting.
Up to eight migrants experienced severe health issues as a result of the arduous journey, primarily suffering from ulcers and dehydration.
In light of these events, the defendant is currently in preventive detention, and the Prosecutor’s Office regards him as guilty of a crime against the rights of foreign nationals and eight counts of bodily harm due to gross negligence, consequently seeking nearly 17,000 euros in compensation for the victims.
The trial is set to commence next Monday at 09:30 at the Provincial Court of Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
